G.D. Chaves

History

Grupo Desportivo de Chaves came into existence on 27 September 1949 and has built a reputation as one of the more seasoned sides in Portugal’s second division, thanks to a long history that includes many seasons in the top-tier Primeira Liga and even appearances in European competition like the UEFA Cup. The club’s best league performances came in 1986–87 and 1989–90, when it finished fifth in the Primeira Liga. During that first standout season, Chaves recorded a memorable 2–1 home victory over Sporting Clube de Portugal at the Estádio Municipal de Chaves. In the years that followed, the team placed sixth, seventh, and ninth before dropping to the Liga de Honra after the 1992–93 campaign. Chaves later returned to the top flight for a few more seasons but was relegated again, remaining in the Liga de Honra until 2007, when it fell to the Portuguese Second Division’s Série A. A fourth-place finish in 2007–08 left the club just short of promotion, but strong form in 2008–09 saw Chaves top Série A and then secure promotion to the Liga de Honra by beating Penafiel 1–0 on aggregate in a semi-final playoff. The final against Fátima, with both sides already guaranteed promotion, ended in a 2–1 loss for Chaves. The club then spent three years in the third division before claiming the Segunda Divisão title in 2012–13, earning a return to the Segunda Liga. After missing out on promotion on the dramatic final day of the 2014–15 season, Chaves finally went up to the Primeira Liga the following year, ending a 17-year absence from the top flight. In September 2025, the club was acquired by Mexican firm GLS Promotoría del Deporte, owned by tequila entrepreneur Arturo Lomelí, which also runs Atlético La Paz in Mexico’s Liga de Expansión MX. Francisco José Carvalho then stepped down as president, and Mexican lawyer Dante Elizalde, a former Santos Laguna president, took over.