Amarante F.C.

Did You Know?

• Amarante FC recorded a 1–1 draw with Sporting CP in the Taça de Portugal in 1979.
• The club won the fourth-tier Terceira Divisão in 2007–08, 2010–11, and 2023–24.

History

Amarante Futebol Clube came into being on 4 March 1923, founded by Pompeu da Cunha Brochado. The team played its first official match on 31 May 1923, beating Stª Natália 4–0. In 1934, the club joined the Porto Football Association, which allowed it to take part in official regional and district competitions. Early success arrived in 1935 when Amarante won the Porto Football Association regional championship. Over the following years, the club climbed through the district divisions, moving from the 3ª to the 2ª Divisão Distrital in 1953 and reaching the 1ª Divisão Distrital in 1964. In 1966, Amarante first played in the Terceira Divisão, winning its group and advancing to the quarterfinals. The club won the 1ª Divisão Distrital in 1977, earning its first promotion to the Terceira Divisão as a proper third-tier league.

The late 1970s and 1980s marked a period of progress. In 1979, Amarante earned promotion to the Segunda Divisão, the highest level the club has ever reached. That same year, the team recorded a notable 1–1 draw with Sporting CP in the Taça de Portugal. Further promotions to the Segunda Divisão followed in 1985 and 1988. After the restructuring of Portuguese football’s national championships in 1990, Amarante settled in the third-tier 2ª Divisão B. Between 1990 and 2006, the club went through a difficult stretch, spending five seasons in the fifth-tier regional division, its lowest point since the 1970s.

Since 2007, Amarante has enjoyed a period of recovery and relative stability, competing only in national divisions. The club won the Terceira Divisão in the 2007–08 season, its first national title at the fourth tier, and repeated the feat in 2010–11. In the 2015–16 Taça de Portugal, Amarante reached the Round of 16 for the first time, defeating Primeira Liga side C.S. Marítimo 1–0. The club reached the same stage again in the 2023–24 season, losing to Gil Vicente F.C.