CF Andorinha

Background

CF Andorinha competes in the Divisão de Honra of the AF Madeira, which is the sixth level of Portuguese football. The club was established on 6 May 1925 and hosts its home games at Estádio Do Andorinha in Santo António, Funchal. This venue holds 500 people, has a synthetic pitch, and offers seating for 400. It sits in the northern part of the Santo António freguesia, on the edge of the city, very near C.S. Marítimo’s training centre, and is frequently used for Marítimo’s youth matches. Before the 2008–09 season, Andorinha only played in Madeira’s Distritais (Tier 5). After a league restructure, the AF Madeira’s 1ª Divisão clubs joined the Terceira Divisão in 2009–10. Andorinha placed second in the First Phase, then won the Promotion Group, earning a spot in the Segunda Divisão Série Norte for 2010–11 under managers Nelson Calaça and Duarte Santos. That season ended in relegation, but it was a notable first for the club, competing against mainland teams at the Portuguese third tier. The club is known as a youth development hub, with many promising players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, having played there. Between 2012 and 2014, under manager Nelson Rosado, it partnered with FC Porto’s Dragon Force schools. Andorinha is linked to the Associação de Futebol da Madeira and has taken part in the AF Madeira Taça. It has also entered the Taça de Portugal, the national cup, several times.