Clube Desportivo Nacional (Portuguese pronunciation:[nɐsjuˈnaldɐmɐˈðɐjɾɐ]), commonly known asNacional da Madeira and sometimes justNacional, is a Portuguesefootball club based inFunchal, on the island ofMadeira.[1]
Founded on 8 December 1910, it currently plays in theLiga Portugal, Portugal's top-tier division of professional football. It plays its home games atEstádio da Madeira, also known as Estádio da Choupana. Built in 1998 and named at the timeEstádio Eng. Rui Alves after the current club president Rui Alves, it seats approximately 5,200 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 formedPortuguese internationalCristiano Ronaldo and to honour the club's most famous player they named their youth training facilitiesCristiano Ronaldo Câmpus Futebol.
TheAlvinegros played in thePrimeira Liga in 1988–91, 2002–17, 2018–19 and 2020–21. Their best top-tier league finish was fourth in the2003–04 and2008–09 seasons, with Brazilian strikerNenê winning theBola da Prata for top scorer with 20 goals in the latter. They have played in theUEFA Europa League on five occasions between 2004 and 2014, beatingZenit St. Petersburg in the play-off round and taking third place in the group stage in2009–10. The team has reached theTaça de Portugal semi-finals four times between 2009 and 2023, and theTaça da Liga semi-final in2010–11. Notable managers includeManuel Machado, who led the team in five spells from 2005 to 2021. They currently play inPrimera Liga, after they got promoted from the2023–24 Liga Portugal 2.
Nacional reached thefirst division for the first time ever with a three-season spell from 1988. Under managerJosé Peseiro, the team returned for2002–03 after winning promotion in third place.[2] The team finished comfortably in 11th, with results including a 1–0 home win overS.L. Benfica on 28 September 2002 and a 3–2 win atC.S. Marítimo in theMadeira derby the following 2 February.[3] Peseiro's successorCasemiro Mior took the team to a joint-best 4th place in2003–04, including another home win over Benfica, shortly after that team had knocked them out of the quarter-finals of theTaça de Portugal.[4] Stars of this team included BraziliansPaulo Assunção (defensive midfielder) andforwardAdriano (16 and 19 goals in respective seasons), both of whom later played forFC Porto.[5]
Nacional's debut European season in the2004–05UEFA Cup ended in the first round with a 4–1 aggregate loss to Spain'sSevilla FC.[6] In January 2005, Mior left forClub Athletico Paranaense in his homeland.[7]Manuel Machado led the team to fifth in2005–06, again reaching the UEFA Cup, but left due to his wife and children living in continental Portugal.[8] The club's second run in European competition again ended at the first hurdle, 3–1 on aggregate toCS Rapid București of Romania.[9]
Manuel Machado managed Nacional in five spells between 2005 and 2021
Nacional started the 2009–10 season without Nenê, who was sold in June toCagliari Calcio of the ItalianSerie A for a fee potentially rising to €10 million.[11] However, in August the club won a European tie for the first time, defeating 2008 championsFC Zenit Saint Petersburg 5–4 on aggregate in the playoffs of the renamed UEFA Europa League; the team were heading out on theaway goals rule until alast-minute goal from youngsterRúben Micael earned a 1–1 draw in Russia.[12] Nacional were eliminated in the group stage, third behindSV Werder Bremen andAthletic Bilbao but ahead ofFK Austria Wien.[13] In 2010–11, former club playersPredrag Jokanović andIvo Vieira led the team to 6th and a European return, as well as the semi-finals of theTaça 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 byBirmingham City, the team made the national cup semi-finals again, losing 5–3 on aggregate to Sporting.[14]
In his fourth of five spells as Nacional manager, Machado led the team to 5th in2013–14, making the Europa League playoffs and falling at the first hurdle 5–2 on aggregate toFC Dinamo Minsk of Belarus.[15] In the2014–15 Taça de Portugal they made a third semi-final in seven years, again losing to Sporting.[16] The2016–17 season, which included Jokanović's fourth spell as manager, ended with relegation in last place, a conclusion to 15 years in the top flight.[17]
Former Portugal internationalCostinha was hired in 2017 and won promotion at the first attempt as champions of the2017–18 LigaPro;Cape Verde international strikerRicardo Gomes was the league's top scorer with 22 goals in 36 games and left the club forFK Partizan in Serbia at the end of his contract.[18] Costinha left after relegation from the2018–19 Primeira Liga, in which results included a 10–0 loss to eventual winners Benfica.[19][20]
The2019–20 LigaPro was abandoned due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, resulting in promotion for first-placed Nacional; it was the sixth promotion in the career of 34-year-old managerLuís Freire.[21] The team were immediately relegated in last place, with Freire sacked in March 2021 and Machado seeing out the season in his fifth spell.[22] The team reached the semi-finals of the2022–23 Taça de Portugal, losing 7–2 on aggregate to Braga,[23] while the league season went to the final day; a 3–2 home win overAcadémico de Viseu F.C. after losing at half time saved the team in 14th place whileB-SAD took the relegation playoff position.[24]
The Estádio da Madeira, better known as theChoupana, 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 5,200 spectators.[28] The total price of the renovations was €23 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 toEstádio da Madeira, because of the excellent sports facilities.
Nacional has a big rivalry with Madeira-neighboursMarítimo. Historically, Marítimo dominated Nacional in the early years, being the first to reachEuropean competition.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^"El Sevilla resuelve con autoridad" [Sevilla resolve with authority].El Mundo (in Spanish). 30 September 2004.Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved18 July 2023.
^Escobar de Lima, Filipe (4 December 2006)."Estrela vence e descola dos últimos lugares" [Estrela win and move away from bottom places].Público (in Portuguese).Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved18 July 2023.
^"Sporting apurado para a final" [Sporting qualified for the final] (in Portuguese). UEFA. 8 February 2012.Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved18 July 2023.
^Cardoso, Francisco José (5 May 2017)."Nacional desce de divisão" [Nacional go down a division].Diário de Notícias (Madeira) (in Portuguese).Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved18 July 2023.
^"Nacional confirma saída de Costinha" [Nacional confirm Costinha's exit].Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 24 May 2009.Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved18 July 2023.