 | ||||
| Full name | Associação Portuguesa de Desportos | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Lusa Rubro-Verde (The Red & Green) | |||
| Founded | 14 August 1920; 105 years ago (1920-08-14) | |||
| Ground | Canindé | |||
| Capacity | 22,004[1] | |||
| President | Antônio Carlos Castanheira | |||
| Head coach | Fábio Matias | |||
| League | Campeonato Brasileiro Série D Campeonato Paulista | |||
| 2024 | Paulista, 8th of 16 | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, commonly referred to asPortuguesa orLusa, is a Brazilian professionalfootball club based in the district ofPari,São Paulo, that competes in theCampeonato Paulista, the top tier of theSão Paulostate football league, and theCampeonato Brasileiro Série D. It is part of asports club, founded on 14 August 1920, by thePortuguese population of the city.
On 14 August 1920 (the same day of the 1385Battle of Aljubarrota), the five Paulista clubs representing thePortuguese community of São Paulo (Lusíadas Futebol Club, Portugal Marinhense, Associação Cinco de Outubro, Associação Atlética Marquês de Pombal and Esporte Club Lusitano) met at Salão da Câmara Portuguesa de Comércio to merge, and founded Associação Portuguesa de Esportes. They chose the colors of Portugal: green and red. The club merged withMackenzie College in 1920, and was then renamed Mackenzie-Portuguesa.[2]
In 1940, the club changed its name to Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, its current name. In 1956, Portuguesa bought fromSão Paulo a big piece of land located in the limits between the northeast and center of the city. In the land, theCanindé stadium was built, as well as the official headquarters, offices and social club.
In the 2011 season Portuguesa participated on the São Paulo State Championship Série A1 (first division) when they were eliminated in the Quarterfinals by São Paulo, in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (second division) and in the Copa do Brasil (Brazilian Cup), when they were eliminated in the First Round byBangu.
After a comeback victory againstAmericana, on 22 October 2011, the club achieved promotion toCampeonato Brasileiro Série A 2012.[3] On 8 November, after a 2–2 draw againstSport Recife, the club won the2011 Série B, the first national title won by the club. The title crowned a strong campaign by the Lusa side, with 23 wins, 12 draws and only three defeats. The offensive and fast-paced style of play implemented by the team's coach, Jorginho, and the great number of 82 goals scored led to the nickname of "Barcelusa", referring to FC Barcelona's style of playing.[4] Lusa ended the 2011 Season with a 2–0 win overIcasa, finishing 21 straight games undefeated.
In 2012, the "Barcelusa" squad struggled in theCampeonato Paulista following the losses of players Marco Antonio andEdno, which led to the relegation to theCampeonato Paulista Série A2[5] after a 4–2 loss to Mirassol and combined results on other games. The chairman disappointment with the awful campaign in a much considered easy tournament led to the dismissal of the team's coach, Jorginho, after 14 months working for the Lusa side.[6]
The team then turned sights onGeninho, and confirmed the former Brazilian champion as their new head coach.[7] The team mounted a good campaign in theCopa do Brasil, but fell through at the Round of 16 after a 2–0 defeat toBahia.
Lusa started theCampeonato Brasileiro Série A with their goalkeeperWéverton negotiating with his departure to play forAtlético Paranaense. Without a good replacement at the youth squad nor the recently addedGlédson, Lusa then started negotiating with the two-timeUEFA Champions League champion and formerBrazil national team goalkeeperDida, and signed the 38-year-old keeper to wear their colors until the end of theBrasileirão.[8] The keeper started for the first time for Lusa in a match againstSão Paulo, and had a good showing in a 1–0 win for the Lusa side.[9] Lusa then played againstNeymar'sSantos, again at home, and with amazing saves by the veteran goalkeeper and losing several clear scoring chances at the first half, the game ended 0–0,[10] with Lusa mounting two wins, three losses and two draws starting the tournament.
Lusa then pulled off a trade with Atlético Paranaense, bringing aboard strikerBruno Mineiro. The negotiation proved to be extremely positive, since the new number 9 started scoring goals at will: in 12 games, he scored 11 times, becoming one of the top scorers in the league, pursuing closely the likes ofVagner Love,Fred andLuís Fabiano.
After twenty-seven games in the Brasileirão, Lusa survived a series of difficult games to maintain its spot out of the relegation zone. Playing againstPalmeiras andCoritiba, Lusa won both games by three goals to none at home. PlayingFluminense, São Paulo, Santos andAtlético Mineiro, Lusa lost the first two games, but benefited from the absence of superstar Neymar to beat Santos away by 3–1[11] and then allowed Atlético Mineiro to escape out of Canindé with a draw.[12] Despite having Brazilian international and formerBallon d'Or winnerRonaldinho, the Atlético side struggled to get out of the strong midfield pressure and ball possession imposed by Lusa, which had played the majority of the second half with a one-man advantage after defender Leonardo Silva was sent off.
Playing againstSport Club do Recife, Bruno Mineiro scored a hat-trick in a turnaround win by 5–1,[13] becoming the new league scoring leader, trespassing Fred. Fred and Mineiro both played forAmérica Mineiro at the youth level.[14]
In December 2012,Péricles Chamusca was announced as the new head coach, with a one-year contract.[15] He was fired in April 2013.[16] A day after Chamusca's dismissal, the club announced a Colonel,Edson Pimenta, as new coach.[17]
On 16 April 2013, Portuguesa was eliminated byNaviraiense in2013 Copa do Brasil's first round.[18] Only nine days later, Lusa won promotion toCampeonato Paulista Série A1, after a 2–1 victory againstCapivariano.[19]
Although Portuguesa finished the championship just above the relegation positions (precisely in 12th), it was punished by the Superior Court of Sport Justice for irregularly calling in a player during a match againstGrêmio –Héverton, who was suspended for ared card received at his previous Copa do Brasil match.[20] With the punishment, the team lost four points – three for the irregular usage of a player and a fourth one which the team won due to the game resulting in a tie – and ended up being relegated in 17th place.[20] This way, Fluminense managed to finish the championship above the relegation positions (15th) and was spared from having to compete in the next year's second division as well as Flamengo, who had also lost four points as punishment for an irregular usage of a player and finished in 16th place.[20]
On 10 January 2014, a supporter from the club won a lawsuit in São Paulo's courts, which determines the points would be returned to Portuguesa, relegating Flamengo.[21] However, CBF refused to accept the lawsuit, and published the 2014 Série A table withoutLusa, placing the club in Série B instead.
In2014 Campeonato Paulista,Lusa was placed in the Group C, with Santos,Ponte Preta,São Bernardo andPaulista. The club failed to win in their first five games, and sawGuto Ferreira's resignation as head coach. UnderArgel Fucks, the club fared better and finished fourth in the group, only four points behind second-placed Ponte.
In April, the club was again knocked out of Copa do Brasil, this time by lowlyPotiguar Mossoró; also in the same month, the club left the pitch in the 16th minute of a match againstJoinville, and was later punished by STJD due to disbandment.
Argel left Lusa in the following month, and after short-reign terms ofMarcelo Veiga andSilas, the club announced the arrival ofVágner Benazzi in mid-September, highly known for his abilities to guide a team out of the relegation places. However, he was also dismissed in the following month, after failing to achieve a single win. During that time, the club also saw a host of players coming and going out, with the squad surpassing the 40 players mark.
Portuguesa was relegated toSérie C (for the first time in the club's history) on 28 October, after losing 0–3 toOeste.
Portuguesa started the2015Paulistão with a win, defeating Ponte Preta by 3–2. On 4 March 2015 the club reached the second stage of Copa do Brasil, after a 3–1 away win againstSantos-AP.
On 20 March, after being highly pressured, presidentIlídio Lico resigned and was replaced byJorge Manuel Marques Gonçalves.[22] Two weeks later, the club was again relegated to Série A2, after a 0–3 away loss againstSão Paulo.
Duringthe year's Série C, Portuguesa qualified to the final rounds as second in its group, but missed out promotion after losing to eventual championsVila Nova. The following year, the club narrowly avoided relegation in Série A2 after finishing 13th.
Portuguesa suffered another relegation in the end of the2016 season, after a 0–2 away loss againstTombense, being demoted toSérie D ahead of the 2017 campaign.
Ahead of the 2017 season, Portuguesa announcedÉmerson Leão as their football consultant, withTuca Guimarães being appointed as head coach. With subsequent head coachesEstevam Soares andMauro Fernandes, the club was knocked out in the first phase of the year's Série D, and also reached the semifinals of theCopa Paulista, meaning that the club was not included in any national division for the 2018 season.
During the 2018 campaign,Lusa hadGuilherme Alves andAllan Aal as their head coaches, finishing in both disappointing mid-table positions in the Série A2 and in the Copa Paulista. In the 2019 season, the first team was managed byLuís Carlos Martins,Vica and former youth graduateZé Maria, again with little success.
Moacir Júnior started the 2020 campaign as head coach, but was sacked in February. Another youth graduate,Fernando Marchiori, was named in his place, and led the club to the quarterfinals of the Série A2. In the Copa Paulista, the club lifted the trophy for the first time in their history, only losing one match in the entire competition and having the second-best defensive records of the tournament's history; the title also ensured Portuguesa back in a national tournament after three years of absence.
In the2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, Portuguesa led their group but was knocked out of the tournament on penalties byCaxias. This led to the departure of Marchiori as head coach, and another former player of the club,Alex Alves, took over.
On 9 April 2022, under the guidance ofSérgio Soares,Lusa achieved promotion to theCampeonato Paulista after seven years.[23] The club started the 2023 season withMazola Júnior as head coach, and narrowly avoided relegation in the2023 Campeonato Paulista underGilson Kleina, who opted to leave the club at the end of the competition; in that year, they also introduced a newRooster of Barcelos-themed third kit, which was inspired on a popular Portuguese folk tale and symbol.[24]
Portuguesa started the 2024 campaign withDado Cavalcanti as head coach, but he was replaced byPintado after five matches. The club reached the quarterfinals of thePaulistão after 13 years, but were knocked out bySantos. In the 2024 Copa Paulista, they reached the semifinals.
On 7 November 2024, an offer from a group of investors (Tauá Partners, Revee andXP Investimentos) was presented to Portuguesa's Council to purchase 80% of the club'sSociedade Anônima do Futebol project, which included an investment ofR$ 1 billion to clear the club's debt and build a new arena in the place of the currentEstádio do Canindé.[25] The offer was approved by acclamation seven days later.[26]
In their first year as a SAF,Lusa avoided relegation in the2025 Campeonato Paulista and had a disappointing finish in the2025 Série D, being knocked out in the round of 32 byMixto. As the club opted not to play in theCopa Paulista, their calendar year ended in early August.
| National | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 1 | 2011 |
| Inter-state | ||
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| Torneio Rio–São Paulo | 2 | 1952, 1955 |
| State | ||
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| Campeonato Paulista | 3 | 1935, 1936, 1973 |
| Copa Paulista | 1 | 2020 |
| Campeonato Paulista Série A2 | 3 | 2007, 2013, 2022 |
Fita Azul do Futebol Brasileiro (Brazilian Football Blue Ribbon) was an award given for the club which succeeds in an excursion out of the country.
During its time in the Serie A and state championships, Portuguesa has had run-ins withCorinthians,Palmeiras,São Paulo andJuventus.
Portuguesa's stadium is theEstádio do Canindé, built in 1956, with a maximum capacity of 27,500. Following current FIFA safety rules, the maximum capacity is 25,470 people.[27]
The club's first logo was introduced on 14 August 1920, during the club's foundation, was a Portuguese shield. This logo was chosen to honor Portugal.
The club's second logo, introduced in 1923, had a Cross of Avis bordered by a red outline. The Cross of Avis represents Portuguese independence from theKingdom of Castille, which happened after theBattle of Aljubarrota on 14 August 1385.
In 2005, the club's logo design was modernized, and golden trim was added around the red outline.
In 2015, Portuguesa returned to the badge used between 1923 and 2005.
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Portuguesa's first kit, introduced on 20 September 1920, was an all-red shirt, white shorts, and red socks with two horizontal green lines. The goalkeeper kit was completely white.
On 26 March 1923, the club's kit was changed to red and green vertically striped shirts.
The team kit was later changed again, with the red and green stripes changed to horizontal ones, and the away kit became an all-white shirt, red shorts and red socks.
Portuguesa's first mascot was a Portuguese girl named Severa. She was named after the 1930sfado singer Dima Tereza who was nicknamedA Severa, after the Portuguese fado singerMaria Severa Onofriana.
In 1994, Portuguesa changed its mascot. The club's unique original mascot was replaced by a lion wearing the club's home kit. The lion is one of the most common Brazilian football club's mascots.
There are two club's anthems. The first anthem, calledHino Rubro-verde (Portuguese forRed and Green Anthem) is the old one, and was composed by Archimedes Messina and Carlos Leite Guerra.
The second anthem, calledCampeões (Portuguese forChampions) is the current club's anthem, and was composed byRoberto Leal and Márcia Lúcia.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Otto Glória (1973–75)Candinho (1997–99)Mário Zagallo (1999–2000)Candinho (2001–02)Heriberto da Cunha (2003)Paulo Comelli (2004)Alexandre Gallo (2005)Giba (2005–06)Candinho (2006)Vágner Benazzi (2006–08)Estevam Soares (2008–09)Mário Sérgio (2009)Paulo Bonamigo (2009)Renê Simões (2009)Vágner Benazzi (2009–10)Vadão (2010)Sérgio Guedes (2010–11)Jorginho (2011–12)Geninho (2012)Péricles Chamusca (2012–13)Guto Ferreira (2013–14)Argel Fucks (2014)Marcelo Veiga (2014)Paulo Silas (2014)Vágner Benazzi (2014)Ailton Silva (2014–15)Júnior Lopes (2015)Estevam Soares (2015)Anderson Beraldo (2016)Jorginho (2016)Márcio Ribeiro (2016)Tuca Guimarães (2017)Estevam Soares (2017)Mauro Fernandes (2017)PC Gusmão (2017)Guilherme Alves (2018)Allan Aal (2018)Luís Carlos Martins (2019)Vica (2019)Zé Maria (2019)Moacir Júnior (2020)Fernando Marchiori (2020–21)Alex Alves (2021)Sérgio Soares (2022)Mazola Júnior (2023)Gilson Kleina (2023)Leandro Zago (2023)Dado Cavalcanti (2024)Pintado (2024)Alan Dotti (2024)Cauan de Almeida (2025)Fábio Matias (2026–)| International | |
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