C.F. Os Belenenses facts for kids
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| Full name | Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses | |||
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| Nickname(s) | O Belém (Bethlehem) Os Azuis do Restelo (The Blues from Restelo) Pastéis (Pastries) A Cruz de Cristo (The Cross of Christ) |
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| Founded | 23 September 1919 | |||
| Ground | Estádio do Restelo | |||
| Capacity | 19,856 | |||
| President | Patrick Morais de Carvalho | |||
| Head coach | José Sousa | |||
| League | Liga 3 | |||
| 2024–25 | Liga 3 Série B, 3rd (First stage) Promotion Stage, 3rd of 8 |
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Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, often called Os Belenenses or just Belenenses, is a famous Portuguese sports club. It is best known for its football team. The club was started in 1919, making it one of Portugal's oldest sports clubs. It is located in Belém, Lisbon, at the Estádio do Restelo stadium, which can hold 19,856 people. The club's name means "The ones from Belém".
Fans have many nicknames for the club. They call it O Belém (referring to the neighborhood). They also say Os Pastéis (The Pastries), because of a famous pastry from Belém. Other names are Azuis (Blues) or Azuis do Restelo (The Blues from Restelo), because of the team's blue color and stadium. Finally, A Cruz de Cristo (The Order of Christ Cross) refers to their club emblem.
Belenenses made history by winning the 1945–46 Primeira Liga title. They were the first club outside the "Big Three" teams to win the league. The club has also won six Championship of Portugal/Portuguese Cup trophies. This makes them the fifth most successful team in Portuguese football. They are also the fourth club with the most top-three finishes in the league.
Until 1982, Belenenses was one of only four teams that had never been moved down from the first division. Today, they have played the fourth most seasons in the Primeira Liga. They also have the fifth most points in the league's history. Belenenses was the first Portuguese team to have a grass field and lights for night games. They were also the first Portuguese club to play in the UEFA Europa League.
The club plays many sports, including football, handball, basketball, futsal, athletics, and rugby union. Belenenses has won national championships in all these sports. However, they are still most famous for football, which was their first sport. Throughout its history, Belenenses has won over 10,000 trophies. This includes top division titles in football, handball, basketball, and rugby. They also won the Portuguese Cup in football and futsal.
Contents
Club History
Early Years and First Wins
Belenenses was founded in 1919. They reached their first Campeonato final in 1926. They lost that game but won the title the next year in 1927. They won a second championship in 1929. In 1933, the club won its third and final Campeonato. With these three wins, Belenenses was considered one of Portugal's "Big Four" teams at that time.
During this period, a player named José Manuel Soares, also known as Pepe, became a big star. In one of his first games, Belenenses was losing 4–1 with only 15 minutes left. But they managed to tie the game 4–4. In the last moments, Belenenses got a penalty. Pepe, who was playing his first game, scored it, making the final score 5–4 for Belenenses. Sadly, Pepe passed away at just 23 years old. To remember him, Belenenses built a special memorial at their stadium. When FC Porto plays there, they lay flowers to honor Pepe. This is a very old tradition in Portuguese football.
Winning the League Title
Belenenses won its only Primeira Liga title in the 1945–46 season. They beat Benfica by just one point. This was a huge moment because it was the first time a club outside the "Big Three" won the league. On December 14, 1947, Belenenses was the first team to play against Real Madrid at their new Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Real Madrid won that friendly match 3–1.
The club finished second in the league in the 1954–55 season. They had the same points as Benfica but lost the title in the very last minutes of the season. The next year, Belenenses moved to the Estadio do Restelo. This move cost a lot of money, and the club had to sell some of its best players. This made the team less strong. It wasn't until 1973 that Belenenses finished second again. They have not finished as runners-up since then.
Playing in Europe
Belenenses was the first Portuguese club to play in the UEFA Cup. This happened in a match against Hibernian at their home stadium. The club has also played in the European Cup Winners' Cup. In the 1987–88 UEFA Cup, they played against Barcelona. Belenenses lost the first game 2–0 in Barcelona. But they won the second game 1–0 at home.
Belenenses won their sixth and last Taça de Portugal trophy on May 28, 1989. They beat Benfica 2–1 in the final. In the same season, they also knocked out Bayer Leverkusen, who were the champions of the Cup Winners' Cup at the time.
Challenges and Comebacks
Belenenses was moved down from the Primeira Liga for the first time in 1981–82. They have been relegated three more times since then. In the 2005–06 season, Belenenses finished near the bottom. This meant they would be relegated. However, another team, Gil Vicente, had used a player who was not allowed to play. Belenenses won an appeal, so they stayed in the top division, and Gil Vicente was relegated instead.
On May 27, 2007, Belenenses reached the Taça de Portugal final again. It was their first final since 1989. But they lost 1–0 to Sporting CP. In 2010, Belenenses was relegated to the Segunda Liga. But they earned promotion back to the Primeira Liga in March 2013. This was their longest time outside the top division. They set a record with 96 points that season.
During the 2014–15 season, Belenenses finished sixth in the league. This meant they would play in European competitions again. They qualified for the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. They reached the group stage of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. They had a surprising 2–1 away win against Basel.
The Club Split
At the end of the 2017–18 season, CF Os Belenenses (the original club) and Belenenses SAD (the professional team) went their separate ways. The agreement for using the Estádio do Restelo ended, and the professional team did not want to make a new deal. So, from the 2018–19 season, Belenenses SAD played their top-league home games at a different stadium.
The original CF Os Belenenses club started a new amateur team. They joined the lowest Portuguese division. Most fans and club members supported this new amateur team. As a result, Belenenses SAD was not allowed to use the original Belenenses logo or name. They now use a new logo and are called B-SAD. In the first games after the split, the professional team had only a few hundred fans at their games. But the new amateur team had about 5,000 fans at their home games. This showed how much support the original club still had.
Since then, Belenenses has moved up five divisions in a row. They reached professional competition again in 2023. This achievement equaled a world record. Belenenses' first win back in professional competition was 1-0 against Tondela. The goal was scored by André Serra, who was the only player to have been with the club through its entire journey from the very bottom of Portuguese football.
Social Responsibility Initiatives
In September 2023, the club received an award from Liga Portugal. This was for their "Todos Podemos Fazer a Diferença" (Everyone Can Make a Difference) campaign. This campaign encouraged blood donation and bone marrow registration. It was organized with KUBOO Self-Storage and the Portuguese Blood Institute.
Since December 2023, the club has partnered with KUBOO Self-Storage and IPEIP- As Descobertas. They host a celebration at Estádio do Restelo for the International Day of People with Disabilities (December 3rd). This event is for young children from Lisbon schools, including those with special education needs. It includes sports and art activities. The goal is to teach young people about equality, friendship, and respect for everyone, no matter their differences.
Club Achievements
National Trophies
- Primeira Liga
- Winners (1): 1945–46
- Taça de Portugal
- Winners (3): 1941–42, 1959–60, 1988–89
- Runners-up (5): 1939–40, 1940–41, 1947–48, 1985–86, 2006–07
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
- Runners-up (1): 1989
- Campeonato de Portugal
- Winners (3): 1926–27, 1928–29, 1932–33
- Runners-up (3): 1925–26, 1931–32, 1935–36
- Segunda Divisão / Segunda Liga
- Winners (2): 1983–84, 2012–13
- Lisbon FA 1ª Divisão
- Winners (2): 2018–19 (3rd tier), 2020–21 (1st tier)
- Lisbon Championship
- Winners (6): 1925–26, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1943–44, 1945–46
European Trophies
- Intertoto Cup
- Winners (1): 1975
Current Players
Team Roster
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More About Belenenses
- C.F. Os Belenenses (basketball)
- C.F. Os Belenenses (futsal)
- C.F. Os Belenenses (handball)
- C.F. Os Belenenses (rugby union)
- B-SAD
- CSA Steaua București (football)
See also
In Spanish: Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses para niños
