C.D. Santa Clara

Clube Desportivo Santa Clara is a Portuguese professional football club from Ponta Delgada, Azores. They play in the 13,277-seat Estádio de São Miguel. They are the most successful football team from the Azores Islands as the only team from the archipelago to compete in a UEFA competition, having qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Santa Clara
Full nameClube Desportivo Santa Clara
Nickname(s)Os Açoreanos (The Azoreans)
Founded12 May 1927 (12 May 1927)
GroundEstádio de São Miguel,
Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Capacity13,277
PresidentBruno Vicintin
ManagerVasco Matos
LeagueLiga Portugal 2
2022–23Primeira Liga, 18th of 18 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

To date, Santa Clara is the only club from the Azores islands to have competed in the top division of the Portuguese Liga, being thus the westernmost top-flight club in Europe. They compete in Liga Portugal 2, the Portuguese second division football league. Santa Clara's kit manufacturer is Kelme and their main sponsor is Santander. Main rivals are CD Operário from Lagoa. Other major rivals are C.S. Marítimo and C.D. Nacional, from the island of Madeira.

History

Santa Clara reached the Primeira Liga for the first time by coming third in the 1998–99 Liga de Honra, but were instantly relegated back in last place. The team bounced back by winning the 2000–01 Segunda Liga under Manuel Fernandes and later Carlos Manuel. Fernandes, who left for Sporting CP in January 2001, returned in October.[1]

Despite coming 14th in their first top-flight season, Santa Clara were chosen by UEFA to play in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup when Vitória S.C. withdrew, needing the summer to renovate their Estádio D. Afonso Henriques for UEFA Euro 2004.[2] They beat Armenia's Shirak FC 5–3 on aggregate in the first round before falling 9–2 to Czechs FK Teplice in the second.[3] Santa Clara were relegated in 2003,[4] and then spent the next 15 years in the second tier, with the lowest point being 2014–15 when the club came 19th, saving themselves from relegation with three games remaining.[5]

In 2018, Carlos Pinto's Santa Clara team ended their exile by finishing second to C.D. Nacional, and he subsequently left.[6] His successor João Henriques led Santa Clara to two consecutive 10th-placed finishes, their best results for position and points (43) in their history. He left in July 2020, having secured a third consecutive top-flight season for the first time in club history.[7] Under his successor Daniel Ramos in 2020–21, the club finished a best-ever sixth to qualify for the inaugural UEFA Conference League.[8]

Santa Clara defeated KF Shkupi (North Macedonia) and NK Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) before falling to FK Partizan (Serbia) in the Conference League playoffs.[9] Ramos left unexpectedly in October 2021 with the team in 15th.[10] Mário Silva concluded the season with the team in 7th, earning a two-year contract extension, as well as taking the team to the semi-finals of the Taça da Liga (at FC Porto's expense) for the first time.[11] Silva was sacked in January 2023 with the team 15th after as many games;[12] the form did not improve under successors Jorge Simão and Danildo Accioly and Santa Clara finished last, ending five years in the top flight.[13]

Stadium

Santa Clara plays in the Estádio de São Miguel in Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the Azores.

Due to mandatory quarantine for all visitors to the Azores in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Santa Clara concluded the season playing home games in Oeiras near Lisbon.[14]

Honours

Players

Current squad
As of 27 September 2023[15]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Brazil BRA Gabriel Batista
2 DF Portugal POR Diogo Calila
4 DF Portugal POR Pedro Pacheco
6 DF Venezuela VEN Sema Velázquez
7 FW Brazil BRA Reinaldo
9 FW Brazil BRA João Marcos
10 FW Portugal POR Ricardinho
11 FW Portugal POR Andrezinho
13 DF Portugal POR Luís Rocha
16 DF Portugal POR Paulo Henrique (captain)
18 MF Brazil BRA Eduardo Ageu
19 MF Portugal POR Bruno Almeida
20 MF Brazil BRA Adriano
22 DF Portugal POR David Bruno
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF Brazil BRA Sidney Lima
25 MF Portugal POR Miguel Pires
32 DF Brazil BRA MT (on loan from Vasco da Gama)
35 MF Portugal POR Serginho
42 DF Brazil BRA Lucas Soares
48 MF Brazil BRA Mateus Sarará
49 FW Brazil BRA Gabriel Silva
50 GK Portugal POR João Afonso
70 FW Brazil BRA Vinícius Lopes (on loan from Botafogo)
74 GK Argentina ARG Marcos Díaz
77 MF Brazil BRA Gustavo Klismahn (on loan from Portimonense)
98 GK Brazil BRA João Bravim
99 FW Brazil BRA Rafael Martins

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Portugal POR Marco Pereira
— FW Uruguay URU Gustavo Viera

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
37 MF Brazil BRA Rildo (at Portimonense until 30 June 2024)
43 DF Brazil BRA Paulo Eduardo (at Grêmio Novorizontino until 30 June 2024)
44 DF Brazil BRA Ítalo (at Ural Yekaterinburg until 30 June 2024)
80 MF Brazil BRA Victor Bobsin (at Daegu FC until 30 June 2024)
90 MF Brazil BRA Patrick (at Brasil de Pelotas until 31 December 2023)

International players
Pauleta played for Santa Clara in 1991 at youth level before moving on to bigger clubs where he would become one of the best Portuguese strikers of all time.

League and cup history
Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup League Cup Notes
1982–83 3DS 7 3012612 423930 Round 2
1983–84 3DS 7 3012711 383231 Round 2
1984–85 3DS 10 3011613 322628 Round 2
1985–86 3DS 4 301488 342036 Round 2
1986–87 3DS 2 301686 542940 Round 1 Promoted
1987–88 2DS 20 3851320 195123 Round 3 Relegated
1988–89 3DS 10 3413912 353235 Round 2
1989–90 3DS 1 341897 544145 Round 2 Promoted
1990–91 2DS 14 3412917 405633 Round 2 Relegated
1991–92 3DS 5 3415910 553439 Round 2
1992–93 3DS 14 3481412 274030 Round 1
1993–94 3DS 13 3410915 285229 Round 1
1994–95 3DS 18 343922 207015 Round 1
1995–96 3DS 1 261673 481555 Round 1 Promoted
1996–97 2DS 2 341969 673663 Round 3
1997–98 2DS 1 341885 603165 Round 4 Promoted
1998–99 2H 3 3413137 533755 Round 5 Promoted
1999–00 1D 18 3471017 355031 Round 5 Relegated
2000–01 2H 1 342077 603767 Round 3 Promoted
2001–02 1D 14 3491015 324637 Round 5
2002–03 1D 17 3481115 395435 Round 5 Relegated
2003–04 2H 13 3411914 414442 Round 3
2004–05 2H 15 3411617 394939 Round 4
2005–06 2H 6 3413129 453251 Round 4
2006–07 2H 4 3015510 343150 Round 4
2007–08 2H 10 3010713 315037 Round 4 Round 1
2008–09 2H 3 301578 453252 Round 5 Round 1
2009–10 2H 4 3013125 452951 Round 4 First Group Stage
2010–11 2H 9 3010812 262938 Round 3 First Group Stage
2011–12 2H 12 3081012 293834 Round 2 Second Group Stage
2012–13 2H 11 42151413 554859 Round 4 Round 2
2013–14 2H 15 4213920 384648 Round 3 Round 2
2014–15 2H 19 46102115 334251 Round 2 Round 1
2015–16 2H 16 46151219 495257 Round 3 Round 1
2016–17 2H 10 42161214 424260 Round 4 Round 2
2017–18 2H 2 38 19 9 10 55 40 66 Round 5 Round 2 Promoted
2018–19 1D 10 34 11 9 14 43 45 42 Round 4 Round 2
2019–20 1D 9 34 11 10 13 36 41 43 Round 5 Round 3
2020–21 1D 6 34 13 7 14 44 36 46 Quarter-finals Best league finish
2021–22 1D 7 34 9 13 12 38 54 40 Round 3 Semi-finals

European record
Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
2002–03 Intertoto Cup R1 Armenia FC Shirak 2–0 3–3 5–3
R2 Czech Republic Teplice 1–4 1–5 2–9
2021–22 Europa Conference League 2QR North Macedonia Shkupi 2–0 3–0 5–0
3QR Slovenia Olimpija Ljubljana 2–0 1−0 3−0
PO Serbia Partizan 2–1 0–2 2–3

References
  1. "Manuel Fernandes já orientou treino do Santa Clara" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 3 October 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  2. "Santa Clara substitui minhotos na Taça Intertoto" [Santa Clara replaced Minho Province team in Intertoto Cup]. Record (in Portuguese). 9 May 2002. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. "Santa Clara eliminado da Intertoto" [Santa Clara eliminated from the Intertoto]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 July 2002. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  4. "Carlos Alberto Silva de saída" [Carlos Alberto Silva leaving]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 May 2003. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. "Trofense-Santa Clara, 0-0: Insulares garantem permanência" [Trofense 0-0 Santa Clara: Islanders guarantee survival]. Sábado (in Portuguese). 6 May 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. "Carlos Pinto deixa o Santa Clara após subida à I Liga" [Carlos Pinto leaves Santa Clara after promotion to the I Liga]. Público (in Portuguese). 14 May 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  7. "João Henriques sai do Santa Clara depois de duas épocas de recordes" [João Henriques leaves Santa Clara after two record-breaking seasons]. Observador (in Portuguese). 24 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  8. "Liga: Santa Clara garante qualificação europeia" [Liga: Santa Clara guarantee European qualification] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  9. Salvador, Rui (26 August 2021). "Santa Clara perde com Partizan e Paços de Ferreira derrotado em Londres. Falham fase de grupos da Liga Conferência" [Santa Clara lose to Partizan and Paços de Ferreira defeated in London. They miss the Conference League group stage]. Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  10. "Daniel Ramos abandona Santa Clara rumo a "grande oportunidade"" [Daniel Ramos abandons Santa Clara for a "great opportunity"]. Público (in Portuguese). 5 October 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  11. "Santa Clara renova com o treinador Mário Silva por duas épocas" [Santa Clara renew with manager Mário Silva for two seasons]. Observador (in Portuguese). 19 May 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  12. "Mário Silva deixa comando técnico do Santa Clara" [Mário Silva leaves the helm of Santa Clara]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 6 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  13. ""Ninguém da administração do Santa Clara vai a lugar nenhum"" ["Nobody from the Santa Clara administration is going anywhere"]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 20 May 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  14. "Oficial: Santa Clara vai disputar jogos da I Liga na Cidade do Futebol" [Official: Santa Clara will contest I Liga games at the Cidade do Futebol]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 12 May 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  15. "Plantel" (in Portuguese). CD Santa Clara.
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