Born and raised in Espinho, a seaside fishing town, Filipe Relvas began his career at the historic Sporting Clube de Espinho, where after a spell at CD Feirense, he finished his youth career. Belonging to the beautiful 1999 generation, which has given so much joy to the Portuguese, Filipe never wore the Portuguese national colours. In fact, his peculiar journey away from the spotlight began in what is now the fourth tier of football in Portugal, with a steady climb up the ladder to the first team at Portimonense SC, a club where he entered through the doors of the Under-23s. If he continues to progress at the same pace, it is likely that we will still see Filipe playing for the national team.
From a technical point of view, Filipe Relvas is a player who dominates the different offensive principles, such as progression and passing. Moreover, he adds quality to all his offensive actions. His carries frequently beat the opponent’s pressure, especially when the opponent is already leaning to one side of the field, and Filipe showed himself as a free man on the opposite side. As for the pass, always tense, low and well-placed, the Portuguese central defender executes this technical action well and frequently. Before these technical actions, there’s something that I consider fundamental for them to have a good percentage of success: the first touch, which allows Filipe to have the ball always controlled and ready for the following action. Basically, it makes it possible for the player to use his resources to create individual unbalance. In Filipe Relvas case, this is evident through the vertical passes that he tries to place in the central corridor, as well as his long passing ability, which often allows him to find the strikers attacking in the space behind the defensive line.
In terms of intelligence on the field, the 23-year-old player proves to be cautious when executing any action. Hardly we see the young central defender acting by impulse. It is a great advantage for him. That allows him to make good decisions several times, also because he is a player who prepares his game very well because he frequently scans what surrounds him. As such, he is a player that anticipates different scenarios and that can be successful in his game.
Physically, he is a player that stands out by his height – Filipe Relvas is 1.92 meters tall – something which favours him a lot in the aerial game, moments of the game where he is strong. His long legs allow him to have speed, either in the offensive moment – especially picking up set pieces – or in the defensive moment – controlling the depth and chasing individuals. Besides the physical benefits mentioned above, he is a player who is quick to react to loss and quick to execute the technical gestures previously mentioned.
His competitive attitude is a solid point to highlight. He is a committed and concentrated player at all moments of the game. He doesn’t hide himself from the game, which allows him to often show his qualities. Combined with his competitive attitude is his defensive ability, which is evident in moments of pressure, in the way he makes contention and in the way he respects the remaining defensive principles: defensive line, defensive cover and so on.
In the future, Filipe Relvas can reach the level of teams like SL Benfica or FC Porto both in Portugal and abroad. If he keeps up the level of play he has shown so far at Portimonense SC, we may see him rise to the next level in the near future. After the Algarvians, looking for a context that allows him to continue playing regularly in order to evolve would be the most favourable.