Académico do Aeroporto

History

The club was founded on December 1, 1966 and are one of two affiliates with Académica de Coimbra, the other is Académica do Sal. One of some in the nation having two affiliates in a championship, the other for example is CD Travadores and Benfica on Praia that are affiliated with SL Benfica. It is also the third oldest club in the city of Espargos.

Between 1992 and 1993 with Juventude and Palmeira, then again in 2003 and 2004 and 2004 and 2005, the team had the same title with Associação Académica do Sal. Since 2003, the club won the most titles on the island with 14 titles and is fifth of any of the island leagues with the most championship titles. Also the club won 4 cup titles, their recent was in 2009. The club also has 5 super cup titles, their first was in 2008, their next two was won every two years, in 2011 and in 2013, their two recent was two straight titles in 2016. Their first opening tournament title was won in 2005, their second which made it two in a row in 2006, in 2011, the club won three titles in a row, recently the club won one opening tournament title every two years for four years between their third in a row and 2015, their recent win was the 2015 season.

In the 2002 national championship season along with Académica do Fogo and SC Atlético, the club had 16 points and was third, the points was second ranked and no other clubs would have 16 points in the present day.

Between 2011 and 2015, Académico participated once every two years in the national championships after winning an island title, their recent appearance scored 12 goals and 9 points and was placed third and did not participate in the playoffs. The 10 May match was suspended and was rescheduled to 3 June and Académica beat Sporting Brava 2–1. The club received the 2015 Fair Play Award. Académico do Aeroporto brought a new manager named Lúcio Antunes who was coaching the Angolan team Progresso Associação do Sambizanga, he coached for a season His management brought Académico to win their second regional consecutive title on April 21, 2016, their fourth time from 2002 to do so and now totals 14, the club finished with a new record of 35 points led by an additional two clubs and four matches in the season. Académico appeared in the 2016 championships in mid-May and was placed in Group B, the club finished with 7 points and had two wins and scored four goals, this was the third season that they finished third. Antunes was to return to coach the Cape Verdean team but he declined it, he continues to coach Académico do Aeroporto do Sal. In November, Cabeto left and Moniz was once again as president.

In 2015, the city opened a sports complex with artificial turf, a gym, a pool, an auditorium and a multipurpose hall.

The club celebrated the 50th year of foundation on December 1, 2016.

Ivan Lopes replaced Mendes as director of the club in mid February.

Playoff participation

The team, Académico do Aeroporto were the first place champions for Sal Island in 2003 and 2006, Académico do Aeroporto had made it in the 2003 season and lost to FC Ultramarina, a team from Tarrafal 3–1 in the first leg, the second leg beat the team 3 to 2 and claimed the 2002–03 season title and is the only club from Sal Island to win a single national title, Pu scored the first two goals in the first leg, in the last Dixa scored the remainder in the next, the club did not achieve entry into the 2004 CAF Champions League the following year. The 2005–06 season saw the team in the second leg of the semi-finals to win six points, one of the highest in history on advancing to the finals, they competed with Sporting Clube da Praia, one of the best teams in Cape Verde and won 1–0 by Gerson in the first leg but Académico do Aeroporto was tied in the second leg but did not claim the 2005–06 title, it went to Sporting Clube da Praia with the most points. Their last playoff participation was in 2011 where they scored a single goal in each of the two matches with São Vicente's Mindelense, the club lost the first match, they later won the second match, their continuation of remaining in the playoffs was finished and finished as a semifinalist.

Cape Verdean Cup

As the club won their first and recent title for the club. It was the second club from Sal to appear at the second Cape Verdean Cup in the summer of 2009 and did not appear in the finals. They were one of four teams that participated in the national level.

Stadium

Estádio Marcelo Leitão is a multi-use stadium in Espargos, Cape Verde. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 8,000. The stadium has seat rows in the east side and is east-southeast of the city center and Monte Curral. The stadium is home to the two best football clubs on the island, the other being Académica do Sal, other clubs based in Espargos includes Juventude which is based in Morro Curral and the stadium is being located inside the neighborhood. Other clubs based in Espargos but a neighborhood includes the newly established clubs of Gaviões and Chã de Matias. Clubs playing the stadium but based on other parts of the island include Santa Maria, SC Verdun Pedra de Lume, Palmeira de Santa Maria and ASGUI, Florença.

Uniform

Its uniform color has a T-shirt colored in half, amber yellow in the left and black on the right with black shorts and amber yellow socks used during home games and a uniform all colored white used during away games.

Its former uniform colours were yellow with a black short for home matches and black clothing for away matches up to the 2013 season.

Rivalry

Académica do Sal is the club's only rival and is called the Airport Derby (Clássico da Ilha do Aeroprto, Derby of the Island of the Airport), where Espargos was founded upon, sometimes, it is known as the Derby of the Académicas of Sal or the Sal Island Derby, the only derby on the island.

Honours

Current squad

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

Former players

Directorial history

Managerial history

Other sports

Other sports that Académica has are basketball (second oldest), handball, volleyball (third oldest) and athletics.

Basketball and volleyball are played at Polidesportivo Municipal do Sal and athletics in the same stadium as football.