Full name | Sporting Clube de Portugal |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
Leões (Lions) Verde e brancos (Green and whites) |
Short name | Sporting |
Founded | 1 July 1906 |
Ground | Estádio José Alvalade |
Capacity | 50,095 |
President | Bruno de Carvalho |
Manager | Jorge Jesus |
League | Primeira Liga |
2015–16 | Primeira Liga, 2nd |
Website | Club home page |
Sporting Clube de Portugal, OM, ComC, MHIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈspɔɾtĩɡ(ɨ) ˈkluβ(ɨ) ðɨ puɾtuˈɣaɫ]) (Euronext: SCP) or Sporting CP is a sports club based in Lisbon, Portugal, that is best known for its football team. The club is referred to simply as Sporting in Portuguese-speaking countries, and often as Sporting Lisbon in English-speaking countries.
Sporting are one of the "Três Grandes" (The Big Three) football clubs in Portugal. Sporting is the sixth club in the world with more club members: 140,000. They are nicknamed Leões (Lions) and Verde e Brancos (Green and Whites). The club's anthem, "A Marcha do Sporting" (Sporting's March), was written in 1955.
Founded in Lisbon on 1 July 1906, Sporting were a founding member of the Primeira Liga and, along with rivals S.L. Benfica and FC Porto, have never been relegated from the top flight of Portuguese football since its establishment in 1934. Sporting are the third most successful Portuguese football club, with 46 titles in Portuguese competitions and one international title, the 1963–64 European Cup Winners' Cup. Domestically, they have won 18 Primeira Liga titles, 16 Portuguese Cups (Taça de Portugal), four Championships of Portugal (a record tied with Porto) and eight Portuguese Super Cup titles.
Sporting's football youth academy system has developed footballers such as Paulo Futre, Simão Sabrosa, Nani, Ricardo Quaresma, and Ballon d'Or recipients Cristiano Ronaldo and Luís Figo. Sporting are currently ranked 52nd in UEFA club rankings.