Motor Lublin have announced the signing of Portuguese winger Rony Lopes. The Ekstraklasa club confirmed the 30-year-old has joined on a free transfer with a contract until 30 June 2028, as reported on the club's official website on Wednesday.
The club currently sits 15th in the league table with just 5 points from six matches. Their goal difference stands at minus four, having scored 6 and conceded 10.
Who is Rony Lopes?
Rony Lopes is an experienced player who began his career in Benfica's academy. He moved to Manchester City at 17, winning the Premier League title in the 2013/14 season. He later played in France for AS Monaco, scoring 15 Ligue 1 goals in the 2017/18 campaign. In 2019, he transferred to Sevilla, winning the Europa League with them.
The Portuguese international has also had spells at Olympiakos, SC Braga, and Alanyaspor. He joins Motor after his contract with CD Tondela expired, where he made 18 appearances last season.
What are Motor's league problems?
According to an analysis by Przegląd Sportowy Onet, Motor Lublin are struggling with serious on-pitch issues. The club lost 0-2 to Piast Gliwice on Saturday, managing only one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. This defeat keeps the team just above the relegation zone.
The portal notes that summer signings have not met expectations. Goalkeeper Mihai Popa has lost his starting spot, and defender Tin Plavotić is a backup. Bartosz Bereszyński is not showing the form of a 59-cap Poland international, and Mateusz Łęgowski has so far not been an improvement on players who left in the summer.
What is the managers' rivalry history?
Przegląd Sportowy Onet outlines the history of the duel between Motor manager Mariusz Misiura and Piast coach Daniel Myśliwiec. The two first met five years ago in the second division. Myśliwiec earned promotion to the first league with Stal Rzeszów in the 2021/22 season, while Misiura achieved the same a year later with Znicz Pruszków.
They met for the first time in the Ekstraklasa in February when Misiura was in charge of Wisła Płock. Myśliwiec won that encounter too, with his Piast side securing a 1-0 victory. History repeated on Saturday, as confirmed by match stats published by the BBC. Motor lost 0-2, leaving them 7 points behind leaders Legia Warszawa.
What is the plan for the coming weeks?
The club must quickly improve its form to make up ground in the table. Their current record is one win, two draws, and three losses. The next opportunity comes on 12 December, when Motor Lublin host Widzew Łódź, who are 13th in the standings.
Detailed team statistics are available on our stats page. Ahead of the crucial match against Widzew, it's also worth checking the current league standings. The next fixture will be key for improving Motor's unfavourable position.
