CF Os Belenenses - last updated on 12 May 2008
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses
Foundation: September 23rd 1919
City: Lisboa
Colours: Blue and white
Website: www.osbelenenses.com
Honours:
Portuguese Liga - 1 (1945-46)
Liga da Honra - 1 (1983-84)
Portuguese Cup - 3 (1941-42, 1959-60, 1988-89)
A bit of history:
Clube de Futebol «Os Belenenses», usually known simply as Belenenses, founded in 1919, is one of the leading Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the Belém quarter of Lisbon, hence the club name, which translates as "The ones from Belém".
The main activities of the club are football, handball, basketball, futsal, athletics, and rugby union. The club has won major national championships in all these sports, but remains best known for its original activity, football. They have won the Portuguese Liga once (1945-1946), the only team, together with Boavista FC, to do so outside the Big Three: (FC Porto, Sporting CP and SL Benfica).
When the Portuguese Liga started Beleneneses was one of Portugal's "Big four". It was the first club to compete in the UEFA Cup in an exciting 3-3 draw with Hibernian (at the time one of Scotland's biggest teams) at the Estádio do Restelo in Belem.
Like many Portuguese clubs, fanclubs can be found in Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Belgium and Canada.
In Portugal the club is the 4th most popular after SL Benfica, Sporting Clube de Portugal and FC Porto in number of socios (Socios are paying supporters).
In 1933 the club was the most successful in Portugal with the most titles and Cups.
In the Portuguese Cup 2007 fans from Switzerland, Canada, United States, and several Portuguese cities were at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon to see the final against Sporting CP, where they lost 1-0.
Cabral Ferreira, who served as president of C.F. Os Belenenses from 2005 until 2008, died on February 26, 2008, of a long illness.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
CF Os Belenenses - Founded on September 23rd 1919
