C.d. Nacional

Nacional

Full name	Clube Desportivo Nacional
Nickname(s)	Alvinegros (White-and-Black) Nacionalistas (Nationalists)
Founded	8 December 1910; 113 years ago (8 December 1910)
Ground	Estádio da Madeira
Capacity	5,132
President	Rui Alves
Head coach	Tiago Margarido
League	Liga Portugal 2
2022–23	Liga Portugal 2, 13th of 18
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Founded on 8 December 1910, it currently plays in the Liga Portugal 2, Portugal's second-tier division of professional football. It plays its home games at Estádio da Madeira, also known as Estádio da Choupana. Built in 1998 and named at the time Estádio Eng. Rui Alves after the current club president Rui Alves, it seats approximately 5,132 people. The stadium is located in the north of Funchal, high in the mountains of the Choupana district. The club's home colours are black and white striped shirts with black shorts and socks. Nacional is also known for being one of the clubs that formed Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo and to honour the club's most famous player they named their youth training facilities Cristiano Ronaldo Câmpus Futebol.

The Alvinegros played in the Primeira Liga in 1988–91, 2002–17, 2018–19 and 2020–21. Their best top-tier league finish was fourth in the 2003–04 and 2008–09 seasons, with Brazilian striker Nenê winning the Bola da Prata for top scorer with 20 goals in the latter. They have played in the UEFA Europa League on five occasions between 2004 and 2014, beating Zenit St. Petersburg in the play-off round and taking third place in the group stage in 2009–10. The team has reached the Taça de Portugal semi-finals four times between 2009 and 2023, and the Taça da Liga semi-final in 2010–11. Notable managers include Manuel Machado, who led the team in five spells from 2005 to 2021.

Like many other Portuguese clubs, Nacional operates several sports teams outside the football team. Other sports groups within the organisation include beach soccer, boxing, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, tennis, triathlon, muay thai, padel, rallying, swimming and veterans' soccer.

Nacional reached the first division for the first time ever with a three-season spell from 1988. Under manager José Peseiro, the team returned for 2002–03 after winning promotion in third place. The team finished comfortably in 11th, with results including a 1–0 home win over S.L. Benfica on 28 September 2002 and a 3–2 win at C.S. Marítimo in the Madeira derby the following 2 February. Peseiro's successor Casemiro Mior took the team to a joint-best 4th place in 2003–04, including another home win over Benfica, shortly after that team had knocked them out of the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal. Stars of this team included Brazilians Paulo Assunção (defensive midfielder) and forward Adriano (16 and 19 goals in respective seasons), both of whom later played for FC Porto.

Nacional's debut European season in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup ended in the first round with a 4–1 aggregate loss to Spain's Sevilla FC. In January 2005, Mior left for Club Athletico Paranaense in his homeland. Manuel Machado led the team to fifth in 2005–06, again reaching the UEFA Cup, but left due to his wife and children living in continental Portugal. The club's second run in European competition again ended at the first hurdle, 3–1 on aggregate to CS Rapid București of Romania.

 

Under the returning Machado in 2008–09, again edged S.C. Braga for fourth spot. Brazilian forward Nenê earned the Bola da Prata for top scorer with 20 goals, three more than Benfica's Óscar Cardozo and Sporting CP's Liédson. The side also reached the last-four in the Portuguese Cup, losing on aggregate 5–4 to F.C. Paços de Ferreira, with the decider coming at the Estádio da Madeira in the 90th minute.

Nacional started the 2009–10 season without Nenê, who was sold in June to Cagliari Calcio of the Italian Serie A for a fee potentially rising to €10 million. However, in August the club won a European tie for the first time, defeating 2008 champions FC Zenit Saint Petersburg 5–4 on aggregate in the playoffs of the renamed UEFA Europa League; the team were heading out on the away goals rule until a last-minute goal from youngster Rúben Micael earned a 1–1 draw in Russia. Nacional were eliminated in the group stage, third behind SV Werder Bremen and Athletic Bilbao but ahead of FK Austria Wien. In 2010–11, former club players Predrag Jokanović and Ivo Vieira led the team to 6th and a European return, as well as the semi-finals of the Taça da Liga for the first time (at Porto's expense), losing 4–3 to Paços de Ferreira. In the following season, following Europa League playoff elimination by Birmingham City, the team made the national cup semi-finals again, losing 5–3 on aggregate to Sporting.

In his fourth of five spells as Nacional manager, Machado led the team to 5th in 2013–14, making the Europa League playoffs and falling at the first hurdle 5–2 on aggregate to FC Dinamo Minsk of Belarus. In the 2014–15 Taça de Portugal they made a third semi-final in seven years, again losing to Sporting. The 2016–17 season, which included Jokanović's fourth spell as manager, ended with relegation in last place, a conclusion to 15 years in the top flight.

Former Portugal international Costinha was hired in 2017 and won promotion at the first attempt as champions of the 2017–18 LigaPro; Cape Verde international striker Ricardo Gomes was the league's top scorer with 22 goals in 36 games and left the club for FK Partizan in Serbia at the end of his contract. Costinha left after relegation from the 2018–19 Primeira Liga, in which results included a 10–0 loss to eventual winners Benfica.

The 2019–20 LigaPro was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, resulting in promotion for first-placed Nacional; it was the sixth promotion in the career of 34-year-old manager Luís Freire. The team were immediately relegated in last place, with Freire sacked in March 2021 and Machado seeing out the season in his fifth spell. The team reached the semi-finals of the 2022–23 Taça de Portugal, losing 7–2 on aggregate to Braga, while the league season went to the final day; a 3–2 home win over Académico de Viseu F.C. after losing at half time saved the team in 14th place while B-SAD took the relegation playoff position.

• António Ascensão Figueira (1910–1926)
• Ernesto Pelágio dos Santos (1926–1932)
• António Caldeira (1932–1936)
• Dr. Consuelo Figueira (1936–1940)
• Luís Lopes Serrão (1940–1944)
• Dr. Daniel Brazão Machado (1944–1948)
• Dr. José Telentino Costa César Abreu (1954–1958)
• Dr. António Manuel Sales Caldeira (1958–1964)
• Fernando Pereira Rebelo (1964–1965)
• Luís Lopes Serrão (1966–1969)
• Antonio Manuel Sales Caldeira (1969–1973)
• Nélio Jorge Ferraz Mendonça (1973–1993)
• Dr. Fausto Pereira (1993–1994)
• Eng. Rui António Macedo Alves (1994–2014)
• João Gris Teixeira (2014–2015)
• Eng. Rui António Macedo Alves (2015–Present)

The Estádio da Madeira, better known as the Choupana, houses Nacional. The current stadium is located around nearby training pitches. The club also built an academy campus in name of its most famous player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The stadium was renovated in 2007 for a new stand and also increasing the capacity to over 5,000 spectators. The total price of the renovations was €20 million.

In these new facilities, no stands were put behind the goals, with a tall fence used in its place. In mid-2007, the stadium name was changed to Estádio da Madeira, because of the excellent sports facilities.

 

Nacional has a big rivalry with Madeira-neighbours Marítimo. Historically, Marítimo dominated Nacional in the early years, being the first to reach European competition.

National competitions

• Segunda Liga
  • Winners: 2017–18
• Segunda Divisão B / South Zone
  • Winners: 1999–2000

Regional competitions

• AF Madeira Championship
  • Winners (8): 1934–35, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1968–69, 1974–75
• AF Madeira Cup
  • Winners (6): 1943–44, 1944–45, 1973–74, 1974–75, 2001–02, 2007–08

Other

• Ramón de Carranza Trophy
  • Winners: 2012

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2004–05	UEFA Cup	R1	Sevilla	1–2	0–2	1–4
2006–07	UEFA Cup	R1	Rapid București	1–2	0–1	1–3
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	PO	Zenit Saint Petersburg	4–3	1–1	5–4
		Group L	Werder Bremen	2–3	1–4	—
			Austria Wien	5–1	1–1	—
			Athletic Bilbao	1–1	1–2	—
2011–12	UEFA Europa League	2Q	FH Hafnarfjördur	2–0	1–1	3–1
		3Q	BK Häcken	3–0	1–2	4–2
		PO	Birmingham City	0–0	0–3	0–3
2014–15	UEFA Europa League	PO	Dinamo Minsk	2–3	0–2	2–5

Last updated: 28 August 2014
Q = Qualifying; PO = Play-off

Current squad

As of 9 February 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   POR Rui Encarnação 2 DF   POR João Aurélio (captain) 3 DF   ESP Jordi Pola 4 DF   BRA Paulo Vitor (on loan from Maguary) 5 DF   POR José Gomes 6 MF   CRO Festim Shatri 7 FW   POR Rúben Macedo 8 MF   BIH Vladan Danilović 9 FW   VEN Jesús Ramírez (on loan from Atlético Morelia) 10 MF   POR Luís Esteves 11 FW   MOZ Witi 12 GK   BRA Vinicius Machado 14 DF   BRA Lucas Oliveira

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF   POR André Sousa 20 MF   POR Jota 21 MF   POR Sérgio Marakis 28 FW   POR Carlos Daniel 30 MF   POR Martim Gustavo 33 DF   POR Francisco Gonçalves 37 GK   BRA Lucas França 40 DF   BRA Ulisses (on loan from Vasco da Gama) 55 DF   POR André Sousa 71 DF   POR Diga 77 MF   BRA Gustavo Silva (on loan from Comercial) 99 FW   BRA Dudu

Most appearances

Competitive matches only, includes appearances as used substitute.

Rank	Name	Nat.	Years	League	TP	TL	EL	Total	Ref
1	Serginho		1994–2004	279	9	0	0	288
2	Bruno Patacas		2002–2011	229	21	11	9	270
3	João Aurélio		2008–2016	186	22	16	14	238
4	Ivo Vieira		1994–2004	205	14	0	0	219
5	Cléber Monteiro		2003–2010	183	20	7	4	214
6	João Fidalgo		1996–2005	171	11	0	0	182
7	António Vieira		1981–1994	162	0	0	0	162
8	Mateus		2008–2013	117	15	9	12	153
9	Fernando Ávalos		2003–2008	132	15	1	3	151
10	Pedro Paulo		1996–2001	136	9	0	0	145

Most goals

Competitive matches only, includes goals as used substitute.

Rank	Name	Nat.	Years	League	TP	TL	EL	Total	Ref
1	Serginho		1994–2004	115	4	0	0	119
2	Adriano		2002–2005	43	4	0	1	48
3	Bryan Róchez		2017–	40	1	4	0	45
4	Roberto Carlos		1990–1994	40	0	0	0	40
5	Mateus		2008–2013	28	7	0	3	38
6	Rui Miguel		1995–1997	36	1	0	0	37
	Mario Rondón		2011–2015	31	5	0	1	37
7	Claudemir		2010–2014	23	2	2	0	27
8	Nenê		2008–2009	20	4	1	0	25
9	Edmilson		1988–1991	23	0	0	0	23
10	André Pinto		2002–2006	21	0	0	0	21
	Diego Barcelos		2009–2014	18	2	1	0	21
	Marco Matias		2014–2015	17	3	0	1	21