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The Lower Leagues of Portugal - A C.F. Oliveira do Douro Story

A story that will (hopefully) document my attempt at bringing my local club from the lowest division possible all the way to the top of Portugal and Europe
Started on 6 November 2023 by TehLTBond
Latest Reply on 6 November 2023 by TehLTBond
 
TehLTBond's avatar Group TehLTBond
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C.F. Oliveira do Douro, also known as Clube de Futebol Oliveira do Douro or simply Oliveira, is a semi-professional Portuguese club in the northern region of the country. Founded in 1928, the club is based in the town of Oliveira do Douro, located in the northern region of Portugal and part of the parish of Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just south of Porto, with over 300,000 residents. And it's my first FM24 long-term save of the year.


Why Oliveira? Why not XYZ FC?


It's my hometown, and their infrequent appearance in the game makes it challenging to manage a save with them. Additionally, having endured long-distance support due to living outside of Portugal and having to follow results through social media posts and frequent refreshing during important fixtures has somehow strengthened my connection with the club. It's a bit difficult to explain.


The region of Oliveira do Douro

A small town with around 22,000 residents, not to be confused with the Oliveira do Douro in Cinfães, Viseu. Yes, we named two towns that are about an hour and a half away from each other the same. Not confusing at all

Oliveira is named after an olive tree, which provides olives, and these are significant in Portugal, a country known for its olive-growing tradition. Olives are also used to make olive oil, another export Portugal is known for. This type of tree used to be highly sought after during the medieval era due to its rarity and value.

"Douro" likely refers to the area, as there's a river with that name, the Douro River, which separates the cities of Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto. Contrary to what you might think, a river between both cities is not a metaphor for a strained relationship, as Gaia and Porto regularly collaborate and don't burn bridges (otherwise, how could you travel between the cities?!).





Stuck in Regional Limbo - A Club Overview

C.F. Oliveira do Douro has primarily competed in the lower divisions of Portuguese football, never going beyond the (old) 3rd Division of Portugal and mainly staying in the 1st Division of its regional league, the AF Porto (Porto FA). The club plays an essential role in the local and regional football scene, with a strong community base, serving as a training ground for young, aspiring footballers from the region. The most famous of these being João Domingos da Silva Pinto, commonly known as João Pinto, an iconic FC Porto right-back who was part of the 1987 European Cup-winning team and won 9 league titles. He started his youth career at Oliveira do Douro before moving to FC Porto, where he remained for the rest of his youth and professional career. Fun fact: The trophy room at the club's stadium is named after him, and he even served as Club President at one point.


[img]https://static.globalnoticias.pt/oj/image.jpg?brand=oj&type=generate&guid=7c5ea0c1-1834-4fa0-b748-8d4700bfcc69&w=1852&q=80[/img]


In terms of silverware, the club only has a few regional trophies to showcase. A few AF Porto league titles, as well as winning the regional cup once in 2014/15. Oliveira's longest stay in a non-regional division was 5 years, from 2006/07 until 2010/11, which was the last time the club competed in it. Last season, they were promoted to the 4th Division, which is the remnant of the old 3rd Division, after 12 years of regional limbo. During these 12 years, the old 3rd Division underwent two structural changes, one of them changing to the 4th Division with the creation of a new 3rd Division (more on that later).

As is typically the norm for local teams in Portugal, the development of local talent is one of their primary focal points, earning them a loyal following in their community, with strong home and away crowds. Also, as with many Portuguese clubs, the club participates in other sports, including track and field.


The stadium

















The club's home matches are held at the Estádio do Clube de Futebol de Oliveira do Douro, a stadium that was only recently built in 2016, with a capacity of 1,500.

The opening match resulted in a 2-1 defeat to FC Porto in late May 2016.

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