C.F. Os Belenenses


Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, commonly known as Os Belenenses or simply Belenenses, is a Portuguese sports club best known for its football team, which currently competes in Liga 3, the third tier of the football league system. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the 19,856-seat Estádio do Restelo in Belém, Lisbon, hence the club name, which translates as "The ones from Belém". Among its fanbase, the club is commonly nicknamed O Belém, in reference to the neighborhood; Os Pastéis, in reference to a traditional Portuguese pastry originated in Belém; Azuis or Azuis do Restelo, in reference to the club's color and its home stadium; and A Cruz de Cristo, for its emblem, or also "Os Rapazes da Praia", a reference to the zone of Belém in the earlier 20th century.
Belenenses won the 1945–46 Primeira Liga, making them the first club other than the Big Three to win the league title. Belenenses has also won six Championship of Portugal/Portuguese Cup trophies, and is the fifth most decorated team in Portuguese football. It is also the fourth club with the most podium finishes, with a total of 19 presences in the three first places.
Until 1982, Belenenses was one of four teams that had never been relegated from the first division. Nowadays, it is the team with the fourth most seasons in the Primeira Liga as well as the team with the fifth most points in the championship's history.
Belenenses was the first Portuguese team with a turf pitch and artificial lighting, and was also the first Portuguese club to participate in the UEFA Europa League.
The main sports of the club are football, handball, basketball, futsal, athletics, and rugby union. The club has won national championships in all these sports, but it remains best known for football, its original activity. In the club's history, Belenenses has won more than 10,000 trophies, including the first divisions of football, handball, basketball, rugby, and the Portuguese Cup in football and futsal, among other sports.
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History

Early years

Founded in 1919, Belenenses reached their first Campeonato final in 1926, losing 2–0 to Marítimo, and won the title the next season with a 3–0 win over Vitória de Setúbal and winning a second championship in 1929. The club lost the 1932 title to Porto 2–1 in a replay after a 4–4 draw. The club won its third and final Campeonato in 1933 after defeating Sporting CP 3–1. With three Campeonato wins, Belenenses was one of Portugal's "Big Four".
At this time, José Manuel Soares, one of the first idols of Portuguese football, stood out. His story began in a match against Benfica in which, with 15 minutes to go, Belenenses were losing 4–1, but the club managed to draw level at 4-4. In the final minutes of the match, Belenenses had a penalty in their favor, and Pepe, who was making his debut, didn't flinch and made the score 4–5 in favor of "The Boys of the Beach". Unfortunately, Pepe died prematurely at the age of 23, accidentally poisoned by his mother. In his memory, Belenenses erected a mausoleum at the Restelo stadium, where Porto, whenever they play there, lay a wreath in honor of the player, in one of the oldest traditions in Portuguese football.

League champions

The club won its only Primeira Liga title in 1945–46, edging Benfica by one point, the first time that a club outside the Big Three won the title. On 14 December 1947, they were the first team to face Real Madrid at their newly inaugurated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in a friendly match won 3–1 by Madrid.
The club were runners-up in the league in the 1954–55 season, level on 39 points with Benfica, losing the title just four minutes from the end with a draw against Sporting. The following year, Belenenses moved to the Estadio do Restelo, which involved a large investment and the sale of the best players, resulting in quality diminishing. It was not until 1973 that Belenenses finished as runners-up again, 18 points behind Benfica, and they never have since.

European forays

Belenenses were the first club to compete in the UEFA Cup in a two-legged 3–3 draw with Hibernian at the Estádio do Restelo in Belém.
The club has also played in the European Cup Winners' Cup. In the 1987–88 UEFA Cup, the club played Barcelona. In the first leg, they lost 2–0 in the Camp Nou, winning 1–0 at the Estádio do Restelo with Mapuata scoring, coached by Marinho Peres, a former Barcelona player. Belenenses won their sixth Taça de Portugal on 28 May 1989, defeating Benfica 2–1. Also that season, they knocked out the holders Bayer Leverkusen from the Cup Winners' Cup.

Downfall and recovery

Belenenses were relegated from the Primeira Liga for the first time in 1981–82, and have been relegated three other times since then.

21st century

The 2005–06 season saw Belenenses finishing fourth from bottom, which would mean relegation for the team. However, as Gil Vicente had fielded an ineligible player that season, Belenenses won a subsequent appeal which saw them remain in the top division with Gil Vincente being relegated instead.
On 27 May 2007, coached by Jorge Jesus, Belenenses reached their first Taça de Portugal final since their 1989 triumph, but were defeated 1–0 by Sporting CP.
Cabral Ferreira, who served as club president of Belenenses from 2005 until 2008, died on 26 February 2008 after a long illness. Belenenses were relegated in 2010 to the Segunda Liga, but secured promotion back to the Primeira Liga in March 2013, their longest stint out of the top division, with a record breaking score of 96 points.
During the 2014–15 season, Belenenses finished the championship in sixth place, thereby returning to European competition, qualifying for the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.
They reached the group stage of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League after eliminating IFK Göteborg and Rheindorf Altach. They finished fourth and last in their group, recording a surprising 2–1 away win against Basel, but drawing 0–0 twice against Lech Poznań, losing the return match against Basel, and losing both matches to Fiorentina.

Club split

At the end of 2017–18 season, CF Os Belenenses and Belenenses SAD went their separate ways, as the "Protocol on the use of Estádio do Restelo" ended and the SAD refused to negotiate a new contract with the club. So from the 2018–19 season, Belenenses SAD play their Primeira Liga home games at Estádio Nacional, whereas CF Os Belenenses registered an amateur team in 1ª Divisão Distrital de Lisboa, the equivalent to the Sixth Division, with the support of the majority of fans and club members.
As a consequence, Belenenses SAD was legally forbidden from using Belenenses' logo and name and now uses a new logo. In the first games of the season, the professional team saw home attendances of only a few hundred, whereas the new, amateur team saw home attendances of approximately 5,000, reversing a long decline in attendance figures.
Since then, Belenenses have climbed up the division five times in a row, until they reach professional competition again in 2023, equaling the world record. Belenenses' first win in professional competition came at Tondela, in a game they won 1-0 and the scorer was André Serra, the only player in the squad to have made the whole journey with the club from the bottom of the Portuguese football.

Social Responsibility

In September 2023, the club was distinguished with the Liga Portugal Social Responsibility Award for the "Todos Podemos Fazer a Diferença" Blood Donation and Bone Marrow Registration Campaign organised in partnership with KUBOO Self-Storage and the .
From December 2023 on, the club, in partnership with KUBOO Self-Storage and organise and host at Estádio do Restelo a celebration of the International Day of People with Disabilities. The event is destined to young kids from the schools of Lisbon, and consists on series of sporting and artistic activities throughout a morning. This celebration intends to raise awareness for equality, friendship and respect despite differences among young generations.

Honours

Domestic

Primeira Liga

European

Intertoto Cup

League and cup history

CL=Campeonato da Liga ;
1D=First Division/League
2D=Second Division/League;
2H=Liga de Honra
CWC=Cup Winners' Cup;
UC=UEFA Cup
FC=Fairs Cup;
LAT=Latin Cup;
IC=Intertoto Cup
CP=Campeonato de Portugal ;
L.1D=Lisbon FA 1st Division ;
L.2D=Lisbon FA 2st Division ;
L3=Liga 3

European record

;Notes1R: First round2R: Second round3Q: Third qualifying roundPO: Play-off round
1 Barcelona progressed to the second round after winning a play-off match 3–2.

2 Shelbourne progressed to the second round after winning a play-off match 2–1.

3 Velež Mostar progressed to the third round after winning a penalty shoot-out 4–3.

Former coaches