C.F. Os Belenenses

Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, commonly known as Belenenses (), is a Portuguese sports club best known for its football team. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the 25,000-seat Estádio do Restelo in the Belém parish of 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" (The Pastries), in reference to a traditional Portuguese pastry originated in the parish; "Azuis" (Blues) or "Azuis do Restelo" (The Blues from Restelo), in reference to the club's color and its home stadium; and "A Cruz de Cristo" (The Order of Christ Cross), for its emblem, or also "Os Rapazes da Praia" (The Boys of the Beach), a reference to the zone of Belém in the earlier 20 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.
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 fourth 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.
History.
Early years.
Founded in 1919, it reached its 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". Since the advent of the Primeira Liga, Os Belenenses has failed to keep up with the other three clubs (Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting CP).
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 (then called the Nuevo Estadio Chamartín) in a friendly match won 3–1 by Madrid. The club were runners-up in the league for the first time in the 1954–55 season, level on 39 points with Benfica. It was not until 1973 that Belenenses finished runner-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. Belenenses won their sixth (and to date last) 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, the club won a subsequent appeal which sent Gil Vicente down instead. With this reprieve, the club played in the top level of Portuguese football once again. On 27 May 2007, 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.
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 (2–1 on aggregate) and Rheindorf Altach (1–0 on aggregate). 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 (Club) 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 (the professional team) 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 (lowest Portuguese 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.
League and cup history.
CL=Campeonato da Liga (winners weren't considered Portuguese champions); 1D=First Division/League2D=Second Division/League; 2H=Liga de HonraCWC=Cup Winners' Cup; UC=UEFA CupFC=Fairs Cup; LAT=Latin Cup; IC=Intertoto Cup
European record.
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.