Full name | Portimonense Sporting Clube |
---|---|
Founded | 1914 |
Ground |
Estádio Municipal, Portimão, Algarve, Portugal |
Capacity | 9,544 |
President | Fernando Rocha |
Head coach | Vítor Oliveira |
League | LigaPro |
2015–16 | 4th |
Website | www |
Portimonense Sporting Clube is a Portuguese sports club founded on 14 August 1914 and based in Portimão, most notable for its professional football team, which currently plays in the LigaPro. It also fields various youth teams and a veterans team in football, as well as teams in basketball.
Situated in Algarve's second largest city, its stadium, the Estádio Municipal de Portimão, has a capacity of 9,544 spectators after undergoing renovation in early 2011. The club never won any major honours, but participated in the Primeira Liga for several seasons.
Portimonense's zenith was in the 1980s, a decade in which the club only played its football in the top division, also competing in the UEFA Cup in 1985–86. They reached the semifinals of the Taça de Portugal three times, in 1983, 1987, and 1988.
Portimonense was a regular presence in the Portuguese first division, even finishing fifth in 1984–85 – highlights included 0–0 home draws against Benfica and Sporting Lisbon – which led to participation in the UEFA Cup in the 1985–86 season.
In the 90's and 2000's, however, the club primarily played in the Segunda Liga, while also having a brief spell in the third level. In 2009–10, Portimonense started with Angolan Lito Vidigal at the helm, but when he left for União de Leiria, former Sporting midfielder Litos took charge, and led the team to a final second place, behind S.C. Beira-Mar, thus returning it to the top flight after exactly 20 years of absence.