Vitória S.C. – Wikipedia

Portuguese association football club

Football club

Vitória Sport Clube, commonly known as Vitória de Guimarães, is a Portuguese professional football club based in Guimarães that competes in the Primeira Liga, the top-flight of football in Portugal.

Vitória de Guimarães have finished third in the Primeira Liga on four occasions, most recently in 2007–08. They have won one Taça de Portugal (2013) and one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (1988), while also being runners-up of the former on six occasions.

The club have competed regularly in European competitions, where their best finish was the quarter-finals of the 1986–87 UEFA Cup.

History[edit]

Vitória was formed in 1922. Its name seems to be a tribute to Vitória de Setúbal, which at the time was a top contender for the Campeonato de Portugal, though these days Guimarães supporters downplay the connection. After seasons of toiling in the Braga FA leagues, the Vimaranenses were first promoted to the Primeira Liga in 1941, and two seasons later battled the Sadinos from Setúbal for the first time in the League. Surprise package Guimarães, against all odds, reached their first Taça de Portugal final in their debut season, but lost to Belenenses 2–0.[citation needed]

Vitória’s furthest progress in a European tournament was in the 1986–87 UEFA Cup, in which they were defeated 5–2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals by West German club Borussia Mönchengladbach.[3]

In the early 2000s, Vitória struggled in some years to retain its status in the top Portuguese division, then named the Superliga. Those years were marked by the decline of the leadership of Pimenta Machado, former club president, who was accused on charges of embezzlement. In February 2008 he was sentenced to four years and three months of prison on a suspended sentence,[4] though a year later he was cleared of this charge and instead ordered to pay a €4,000 fine for falsifying a document.[5]

Despite this, in 2004–05, the club secured a fifth-place finish in the league and qualified for European competition via the UEFA Cup. The next season (2005–06), however, they were relegated to the Segunda Liga (where they last played in 1958) after finishing 17th in the Superliga,[6] despite reaching the Taça de Portugal semi-final, having beaten Benfica in the quarter-finals. The club also failed to progress from their UEFA Cup group, as eventual winners Sevilla, Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers and Russian team Zenit Saint Petersburg progressed.

Vitória bounced back immediately to the top-flight as runners-up to Leixões S.C. under the management of Manuel Cajuda.[7] A joint-best third-place finish in 2007–08, guaranteeing them a place in the third qualifying round of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, their first such campaign. There they fell to Swiss side FC Basel 2–1 on aggregate, with a potential away goal winner by Roberto Calmon Félix being ruled out late on for offside.[8] Vitória dropped into the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round as a result of their elimination, and lost 4–2 on aggregate after extra time to England’s Portsmouth.[9]

Led by Rui Vitória in 2012–13, Vitória found themselves in financial problems, which caused them to lose many experienced players and bet on young players. However, they would go on to win their first Taça de Portugal title after previously losing five finals. Vitória beat rivals Braga en route to the final, where they recovered from 1–0 down against Benfica to win 2–1.[10]

In 2017, Vitória made the cup final again, losing 2–1 to double winners S.L. Benfica.[11] That September, the team left their mark in UEFA competitions, being the first team to start a game without a European player on the field.[12] In 2020–21, the club went through four managers – Tiago, João Henriques, Bino and Moreno – before finishing seventh, missing Europe by one place.[13]

In February 2023, Vitória announced an agreement to sell 46% of the club’s shares in a deal worth €5m to football club holding company V Sports, led by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens: owners of Premier League club Aston Villa. V Sports would additionally offer a credit line of up to €20m, and invest an additional €2m into sporting infrastructure.[14] The agreement was approved at a vote of Vitória’s members on 4 March 2023: approximately 88% voted in favour of the deal. The deal will be formalised on 14 April.[15]

Stadium[edit]

They play in the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, which has a capacity of just over 30,000.[2]

The Estádio D. Afonso Henriques seen from the outside

The Estádio D. Alfonso Henriques (2018)

After Os Três Grandes, Vitória is the club which attracts most supporters to the stadium,[16] with average attendances of 20,000 per game. Vitória usually has a higher average than all the other clubs, even when the club played in the Second Division/League.

Honours[edit]

Taça de Portugal

Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

League and Cup history[edit]

Updated: May 2021.[17]
The club’s 76 seasons (as in 2021) in the top level of Portuguese football make them the club with the joint-fourth longest time there, after Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP (all with 87); and Belenenses with 77.

European matches[edit]

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

As of 31 January 2023

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

Out on loan[edit]

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

Club staff[edit]

Basketball[edit]

Vitória S.C. men’s basketball team plays in the LPB.

Volleyball[edit]

Vitória Sport Clube has a volleyball team which plays in the Portuguese Volleyball League A1.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Geraldo, Inês (23 May 2015). “Sp. Braga e Vitória de Guimarães goleiam no encerramento da Liga Portuguesa”. Rádio e Televisão de Portugal.
  2. ^ a b “Património”. vitoriasc.pt. Vitória Sport Clube. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  3. ^ Ross, James M. (4 June 2015). “European Competitions 1986-87”. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  4. ^ “Pimenta Machado condenado a quatro anos e três meses de prisão com pena suspensa”. Público (in Portuguese). 15 February 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ Mandim, David (26 February 2009). “Tribunal da Relação absolve Pimenta Machado de peculato” [Court of Appeal clears Pimenta Machado of embezzlement]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. ^ “Belenenses, Guimarães e Rio Ave descem à Liga de Honra” [Belenenses, Guimarães and Rio Ave go down to Liga de Honra]. Público (in Portuguese). 7 May 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  7. ^ “Com um a mais, Vitória de Guimarães vence apertado no Português” [By a single goal, Vitória de Guimarães win tight game in Portuguese league] (in Portuguese). UOL. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  8. ^ “Basel qualify for Champions League group stage”. Swiss Info. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  9. ^ Lyon, Sam (2 October 2008). “Guimaraes 2-2 Portsmouth (2-4)”. BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  10. ^ Ruela, João (26 May 2008). “Vit. Guimarães vence Taça de Portugal pela 1.ª vez” [Vit. Guimarães win Taça de Portugal for the 1st time]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  11. ^ Figueiredo, Catarina; Correia Rocha, Catarina; Querido, Rodrigo (28 May 2017). “Benfica vence Taça de Portugal e conquista a 11.ª dobradinha” (in Portuguese). Correio da Manhã. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  12. ^ “Vitória fica na história com ‘onze’ sem europeus” [Vitória make history with ‘eleven’ without Europeans]. Record (in Portuguese). 15 September 2017.
  13. ^ Teles, Gonçalo (19 May 2021). “Benfica vence em Guimarães com dois golos de Seferovic. Vitória falha Europa” [Benfica win in Guimarães with two goals from Seferovic. Vitória miss Europe] (in Portuguese). TSF. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  14. ^ “Parceria da V Sports com o Vitória Sport Clube – Vitória Sport Clube”. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  15. ^ Geral. “Acompanhe em directo a Assembleia Geral do Vitória”. GUIMARAESDIGITAL.COM (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  16. ^ “Estatísticas”. Liga Portugal.
  17. ^ “Vitória Sport Clube :: Estatísticas :: Títulos :: Palmarés :: História :: Golos :: Próximos Jogos :: Resultados :: Notícias :: Videos :: Fotos :: Plantel :: Zerozero.pt”.

External links[edit]