C.D. Santa Clara
Portuguese professional football club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clube Desportivo Santa Clara is a Portuguese professional football club from Ponta Delgada, Azores. As the most successful football team from the Azores Islands, they are 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.
| ||||
| Full name | Clube Desportivo Santa Clara | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Os Açorianos (The Azoreans) | |||
| Founded | 1921 | |||
| Ground | Estádio de São Miguel, Ponta Delgada, Portugal | |||
| Capacity | 12,500 | |||
| President | Bruno Vicintin | |||
| Head coach | Petit | |||
| League | Liga Portugal | |||
| 2024–25 | Primeira Liga, 5th of 18 | |||
| Website | cdsantaclara | |||
|
| ||||
Santa Clara is the only club from the Azores to have competed in the top division of the Portuguese Liga, being thus the westernmost top-flight club in Europe. They compete in the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese first division football league. Santa Clara's kit manufacturer is Umbro and their main sponsor is Lebull. The main local rivals are CD Operário from Lagoa on the same island of São Miguel. 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]
The following season, under new manager Vasco Matos, Santa Clara were crowned champions of the 2023-24 Liga Portugal 2, securing their promotion back to the top flight of Portuguese football. The 2024-25 Primeira Liga season saw Santa Clara finish with a club record 57 points, good enough for 5th place and qualification to the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League for the second time in club history.
Stadium
Santa Clara play in the 12,500-seat Estádio de São Miguel in Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the Azores.[14] Prior to this, the club also used Campo Municipal Jácome Correia to host home games.[15]
Honours
- Segunda Liga
- Portuguese Second Division B
- Winners (1): 1997–98
Players
Current squad
- As of 14 February, 2026[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
International players
Klevis Dalipi
Figueiredo- Kali
- Mauro
- Francisco Zuela
- José Vidigal
Leandro Machado
Pedro Pacheco
Hernâni Borges- Mateus Lopes
- Steven Pereira
- Stopira
- Valter Borges
- Platini
- António Duarte
- Hugo Évora
Denis Pineda
Malick Evouna
Mamadu Candé- Amido Baldé
- Édson
István Vincze
Shahriyar Moghanlou
Osama Rashid
Idrissa Keita
Hidemasa Morita
Muaid Ellafi- Mohamed Al-Gadi
- Hamdou Elhouni
Faysal El Idrissi
Reginaldo Faife
Garba Lawal- Haruna Doda
Abdiel Arroyo- Alfredo Stephens
Pauleta- Marco Paiva
- André Pinto
- Pedro Martins
- Jorge Ribeiro
- Ukra
- Jorge Silva
- José Leal
- António Pacheco
Martin Chrien
Mikel Villanueva
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Vasco Matos |
| Assistant manager | João Batista João Pereira |
| First-team coach | Leandro Pires |
| Goalkeeper coach |  Luciano Oliveira |
| Fitness coach | Rogério Juidecce João Gavazzo |
| Analyst | Nicolau Carvalho |
| Physiotherapist | André Rocha Diogo Moniz Bruno Viveiros Jony Xavier Francisco Silva Cabral |
| Physiologist | Rafael Gregório |
| Chief scout | Diogo Fonseca |
| Scout | Hugo Melo Manuel Sousa |
| Sporting director | Paulo Clemente |
| Squad planner | Rafael Andrade |
| Academy manager | Leandro Rodrigues Luís Pires |
| Kit manager | Alfredo Arruda |
League and cup history
| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup | League Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | 3DS | 7 | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 42 | 39 | 30 | Round 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | 3DS | 7 | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 32 | 31 | Round 2 | ||
| 1984–85 | 3DS | 10 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 32 | 26 | 28 | Round 2 | ||
| 1985–86 | 3DS | 4 | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 34 | 20 | 36 | Round 2 | ||
| 1986–87 | 3DS | 2 | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 54 | 29 | 40 | Round 1 | Promoted | |
| 1987–88 | 2DS | 20 | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 51 | 23 | Round 3 | Relegated | |
| 1988–89 | 3DS | 10 | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 35 | 32 | 35 | Round 2 | ||
| 1989–90 | 3DS | 1 | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 54 | 41 | 45 | Round 2 | Promoted | |
| 1990–91 | 2DS | 14 | 34 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 40 | 56 | 33 | Round 2 | Relegated | |
| 1991–92 | 3DS | 5 | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 55 | 34 | 39 | Round 2 | ||
| 1992–93 | 3DS | 14 | 34 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 27 | 40 | 30 | Round 1 | ||
| 1993–94 | 3DS | 13 | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 52 | 29 | Round 1 | ||
| 1994–95 | 3DS | 18 | 34 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 20 | 70 | 15 | Round 1 | ||
| 1995–96 | 3DS | 1 | 26 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 48 | 15 | 55 | Round 1 | Promoted | |
| 1996–97 | 2DS | 2 | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 67 | 36 | 63 | Round 3 | ||
| 1997–98 | 2DS | 1 | 34 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 60 | 31 | 65 | Round 4 | Promoted | |
| 1998–99 | 2H | 3 | 34 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 53 | 37 | 55 | Round 5 | Promoted | |
| 1999–00 | 1D | 18 | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 35 | 50 | 31 | Round 5 | Relegated | |
| 2000–01 | 2H | 1 | 34 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 60 | 37 | 67 | Round 3 | Promoted | |
| 2001–02 | 1D | 14 | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 32 | 46 | 37 | Round 5 | ||
| 2002–03 | 1D | 17 | 34 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 39 | 54 | 35 | Round 5 | Relegated | |
| 2003–04 | 2H | 13 | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 41 | 44 | 42 | Round 3 | ||
| 2004–05 | 2H | 15 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 39 | 49 | 39 | Round 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | 2H | 6 | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 45 | 32 | 51 | Round 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | 2H | 4 | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 34 | 31 | 50 | Round 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | 2H | 10 | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 31 | 50 | 37 | Round 4 | Round 1 | |
| 2008–09 | 2H | 3 | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 45 | 32 | 52 | Round 5 | Round 1 | |
| 2009–10 | 2H | 4 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 45 | 29 | 51 | Round 4 | First Group Stage | |
| 2010–11 | 2H | 9 | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 29 | 38 | Round 3 | First Group Stage | |
| 2011–12 | 2H | 12 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 29 | 38 | 34 | Round 2 | Second Group Stage | |
| 2012–13 | 2H | 11 | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 55 | 48 | 59 | Round 4 | Round 2 | |
| 2013–14 | 2H | 15 | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 38 | 46 | 48 | Round 3 | Round 2 | |
| 2014–15 | 2H | 19 | 46 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 33 | 42 | 51 | Round 2 | Round 1 | |
| 2015–16 | 2H | 16 | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 49 | 52 | 57 | Round 3 | Round 1 | |
| 2016–17 | 2H | 10 | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 42 | 42 | 60 | 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 | ||
| 2021–22 | 1D | 7 | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 38 | 54 | 40 | Round 3 | Semi-finals | |
| 2022–23 | 1D | 18 | 34 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 26 | 58 | 22 | Round 3 | Group stage | Relegated |
| 2023–24 | 2D | 1 | 34 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 48 | 19 | 73 | Quarter-finals | First round | Promoted |
| 2024–25 | 1D | 5 | 34 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 36 | 32 | 57 | Fifth round | Quarter-finals | Best league finish |
European record
UEFA club competition record
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Intertoto Cup | R1 |  Shirak |
2–0 | 3–3 | 5–3 |
| R2 |  Teplice |
1–4 | 1–5 | 2–9 | ||
| 2021–22 | Europa Conference League | 2QR |  Shkupi |
2–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 |
| 3QR |  Olimpija Ljubljana |
2–0 | 1−0 | 3−0 | ||
| PO |  Partizan |
2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | ||
| 2025–26 | Conference League | 2QR |  Varaždin |
2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| 3QR |  Larne |
0–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | ||
| PO |  Shamrock Rovers |
1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
UEFA coefficient
Correct as of 21 May 2025.[17]
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 129 | F.C. Arouca | 12.453 |
| 130 | Gil Vicente F.C. | 12.453 |
| 131 | C.D. Santa Clara | 12.453 |
| 132 | F.C. Paços de Ferreira | 12.453 |
| 133 | Rio Ave F.C. | 12.453 |
