Full name Leixões Sport Club Chairman Sílvia Carvalho Founded 1907 Ground Estádio do Mar | Ground Capacity 6,798 2015–16 18th League LigaPro | |
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Nickname(s) Os Bébés (The Babies)
Heróis do Mar (Sea Heroes) Manager Pedro Guerreiro de Jesus Correia | ||
Leixões Sport Club, commonly known as Leixões, is a Portuguese sports club from Matosinhos. It is organised into several departments for many events, such as football, boxing, karate, volleyball, swimming and billiards. Its professional football team is its most well known department.
Contents
Leixões won the 1960–61 Taça de Portugal.
History
Leixões Sport Club was founded in 1907, making them one of Portugal's oldest sports clubs in continuous operation. In 1961, they won their only Taça de Portugal, defeating Porto 2–0. This qualified Leixões to the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup, in which they reached the quarter-finals before losing 4–2 on aggregate to East German side Motor Jena. Leixões had their best top-flight league performance in 1962–63, finishing fifth, 12 points behind champions Benfica.
Present in the top-flight since 1959–60, Leixões were relegated on goal difference in the 1976–77 season. Apart from the 1988–89 season, Leixões did not play in the top-flight again until 2007.
In 2002, Leixões beat Braga 3–1 away to secure a place in the Taça de Portugal final (the first and only third division club to play a final) against Sporting CP. The club, however, lost 1–0, but nonetheless secured a spot in the following season's UEFA Cup after Sporting had also finished as national champions for the year. The following season, Leixões lost 5–3 on aggregate to Greek side PAOK after winning the first leg 2–1 at home, thus suffering elimination in the first round of the UEFA Cup. That same year, they romped to the Segunda Divisão B title with 94 points and with it they gained promotion to the Segunda Liga.
In 2004, they just avoided relegation back to Division Two and finished 14th. A year later, they battled to finish seventh in the league. Finally in 2006, they nearly reached the top-flight Primeira Liga, losing out to Desportivo das Aves in the promotion chase by finishing third, two points behind Aves. Third place used to merit a promotion, but due to a re-construction to all leagues, it meant only the top two would go up (Beira-Mar as champions and Aves as runners-up). Finally, in 2007, they gained promotion to the Liga, 18 years after their relegation. During this stint, which lasted three seasons, their best result was a sixth-place finish in 2008–09. Their last match in the Primeira Liga was a 1–0 away loss to Olhanense on 2 May 2010.
Stadium
Leixões' home ground, the Estádio do Mar, was inaugurated on 1 January 1964 with a match against Benfica, who won 4–0.
Honours
Current squad
As of 2 September, 2016Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
League and cup history
The club has played 22 seasons at the top level of Portuguese football.
Other sports
In addition to football, Leixões also competes in boxing, karate, volleyball, swimming and billiards.