C.D. Santa Clara

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.

Santa Clara

Full name	Clube Desportivo Santa Clara
Nickname(s)	Os Açorianos (The Azoreans)
Founded	1921; 104 years ago (1921)
Ground	Estádio de São Miguel, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Capacity	12,500
President	Bruno Vicintin
Head coach	Vasco Matos
League	Liga Portugal
2024–25	Primeira Liga, 5th of 18
Website	cdsantaclara.com
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

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]

Honours

• Segunda Liga
  • Winners (2): 2000–01, 2023–24
• Portuguese Second Division B
  • Winners (1): 1997–98

Players

Current squad

As of 2 March 2025^[15]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  BRA Gabriel Batista 2 DF  POR Diogo Calila 3 DF  BRA Matheus Pereira 4 DF  POR Pedro Pacheco 6 MF  BRA Adriano 7 FW  BRA Elias Manoel 8 MF  POR Pedro Ferreira 9 FW  AUS Anthony Carter 10 FW  BRA Gabriel Silva 11 FW  BRA Brenner 12 GK  BRA Neneca 13 DF  POR Luís Rocha 16 MF  POR Miguel Pires 17 FW  POR João Costa

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 DF  POR Frederico Venâncio 22 DF  BRA Edney 23 DF  BRA Sidney Lima 29 FW  BRA Wendel Silva 31 GK  BRA Denivys 32 DF  BRA MT 35 MF  POR Serginho 36 DF  BRA Thauan Lara 40 MF  BRA Ageu 42 DF  BRA Lucas Soares 64 DF  BRA Paulo Victor 65 MF  CPV José Tavares 70 FW  BRA Vinícius Lopes 77 FW  POR Henrique Pereira

Other players under contract

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

No. Pos. Nation Player

No. Pos. Nation Player

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  BRA João Bravim (at Leiria) — FW  BRA Reinaldo (at Chaves) — FW  BRA Rildo (at Levski Sofia) — FW  POR Bruno Almeida (at Farense) — MF  BRA Matheusinho (at Recife) — FW  BRA Jader (at Cuiabá)

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.

• 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	FC 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

UEFA coefficient

Further information: UEFA coefficient

Correct as of 21 May 2025.^[16]

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