Vilaverdense FC

Vilaverdense F.C.
Full nameVilaverdense Futebol Clube
Founded1953; 71 years ago (1953)
GroundCampo Cruz do Reguengo
Vila Verde, Portugal
Capacity1,000[1]
ChairmanIsidro Fernandes
ManagerSérgio Machado
LeagueLiga 3
2023–2417th, of 18 (relegated)

Vilaverdense F.C. (known for 4 years as Länk FC Vilaverdense)[2] is a Portuguese football club based in Vila Verde in the district of Braga.[3] They currently play in the Liga 3, the third tier of Portuguese football.

The club is affiliated to Associação de Futebol de Braga and has competed in the AF Braga Taça. The club has also entered the national cup competition known as Taça de Portugal on occasion.[3][4]

It also competes in women's football, with a more successful team playing in the first tier, Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino,[5] using the 3,000-seat Municipal Stadium.[1]

History

[edit]

The club was founded in 1953 as Vilaverdense F.C. and play their home matches at Campo da Cruz do Reguengo in Vila Verde. The stadium is a 1,000 spectator all-seater.[3]

In 2020, the club's name and crest was changed following an acquisition of 90% of the club's SAD (Anonymous Shareholder Sport Association) by Länk. These changes caused some controversy. [6][7]

On 11 June 2023, In the 2022–23 season, following a strong season that had the team in the top half of the table for the majority of the time, they managed to jump to second place in Série A, in the promotion rounds finish in second place at Série 2 and qualified for the promotion play-off against B-SAD. They drew the first leg at home with 1–1 and won the second leg in Rio Maior with 0–1 and thus with an aggregate score of 1–2, secured promotion to the 2023–24 Liga Portugal 2 for the first time in history from next season. They were relegated after one season following a 17th finish.

Involvement with Länk

[edit]

In 2020, a Canadian group named Länk acquired 90% of Vilaverdense's SAD, promising to improve the club's stadium. With this they changed the club's name to Länk Vilaverdense and its badge to one in black and white, removing the green used to represent Vila Verde ("Green Town"). The team's kits, however, are still green.[8] Although the acquisition was approved by the club's associates, the changes made by Länk came under heavy fire by the club's supporters and caused controversy.[6] [7]

League history

[edit]
Season Level Division Section Place Movements
1990–91 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – 1ª divisão B
1991–92 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – 1ª divisão A
1992–93 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – 1ª divisão B
1993–94 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – 1ª divisão B
1994–95 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra
1995–96 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra
1996–97 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra
1997–98 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra Promoted
1998–99 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 13th
1999–2000 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 8th
2000–01 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 5th
2001–02 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 6th
2002–03 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 5th
2003–04 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 2nd Promoted
2004–05 Tier 3 Segunda Divisão Série Norte 6th
2005–06 Tier 3 Segunda Divisão Série Norte 13th Relegated
2006–07 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A 14th Relegated
2007–08 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra 1st Promoted
2008–09 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A – 1ª Fase 12th Relegation Group
Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A – Sub-Série A2 3rd Relegated
2009–10 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra 9th
2010–11 Tier 5 Distritais AF Braga – Honra 1st Promoted
2011–12 Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A – 1ª Fase 5th Promotion Group
Tier 4 Terceira Divisão Série A Fase Final 2nd Promoted
2012–13 Tier 3 Segunda Divisão Série Norte 13th
2013–14 Tier 3 Campeonato Nacional Série A 3rd
As Länk Vilaverdense
Season Level Division Section Place Movements
2021–22 Tier 4 Campeonato de Portugal Série A – 1st stage 1st Promotion Group
North zone – 2nd stage 2nd Promoted to Liga 3
2022–23 Tier 3 Liga 3 Série A – 1st stage 2nd 2nd stage
Série 2 – 2nd stage 2nd 3rd stage
3rd stage 3rd Promotion play-off and promoted to Liga Portugal 2 via play-off
2023–24 Tier 2 Liga Portugal 2

[9][10][11][12]

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]
As of 19 July 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 Portugal POR Cajó
2 DF Portugal POR Vasco Coelho
3 DF Ghana GHA Daniel Robertson
4 DF Brazil BRA Luiz Neto
5 MF Mali MLI Momo Sacko
6 MF Brazil BRA Weslei Ferreira
7 MF Portugal POR Eduardo Barbosa
8 DF Portugal POR Ivo Cláudio
9 FW Brazil BRA Neemias Barbosa
10 MF Portugal POR Hugo Alves
11 MF Portugal POR Danilo Monteiro
12 GK Portugal POR Diogo Santos
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 DF Ivory Coast CIV Badra Camara
14 MF Portugal POR Diogo Madaleno
15 DF Portugal POR Jota Rego
16 DF Portugal POR Gonçalo Zuzarte
17 DF Ghana GHA Abdul Ibrahim
18 FW Portugal POR Yemi Agbaoye
19 DF Mali MLI Baissa Niambélé
20 FW Cape Verde CPV Dica
21 MF United States USA Jude Burst
22 MF Brazil BRA Hiago Bagarolo
23 FW Brazil BRA João Pedro

Out on loan

[edit]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player

Honours

[edit]
  • AF Braga Divisão de Honra: 2010–11
  • AF Braga Taça: 1988/89, 1990/91, 1992/93, 1997/98, 2009/10

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Estadio Archived 2023-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "DESPORTO (Futebol) - Lank 'abandona' projeto do Vilaverdense FC e já há novos investidores 'brasileiro-japoneses' - O Vilaverdense" (in European Portuguese). 28 July 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Vilaverdense Futebol Clube - ForaDeJogo - foradejogo.net". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Vilaverdense Futebol Clube – Portugal – footballzz.co.uk". ZeroZero. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Vilaverdense Futebol Clube". Zerozero.
  6. ^ a b "Vilaverdense passa a chamar-se Länk FC". BOM DIA (in European Portuguese). 19 October 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Grupo Lank promete revolucionar o Vilaverdense FC". O Vilaverdense (in European Portuguese). 13 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Camisa Titular LANK FC Vilaverdense 2019-20".
  9. ^ "Portugal – Table of Honor – soccerlibrary.free.fr" (PDF). Soccer Library. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  10. ^ "Competitions – Portugal – footballzz.co.uk". ZeroZero. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Competitions - ForaDeJogo - foradejogo.net". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  12. ^ "AF Braga – Futebol Total". Futebol Total. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
[edit]