Club Sport MarÃÂtimo MH M (), commonly known as MarÃÂtimo or MarÃÂtimo da Madeira, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in the city of Funchal, on the island of Madeira. Established in 1910, MarÃÂtimo is best known for its football team currently playing in Liga Portugal 2 that previously played for 38 consecutive years in the Primeira Liga from 1985 to 2023.
The club's reserve team, MarÃÂtimo B, compete in the fourth division, and the female team feature in the top-tier Campeonato Nacional Feminino. Aside from football, MarÃÂtimo have teams in other sports competing in national leagues, such as volleyball, handball, roller hockey and athletics. MarÃÂtimo supporters are called Maritimistas.
The football club has won one major trophy, the Campeonato de Portugal in 1926. After a long period of being restricted to regional competitions, MarÃÂtimo made their inaugural appearance in the national league in 1973 and four years later became the first club based outside Portuguese continental territory to achieve promotion to the top division in 1977. Since then the club has played 43 seasons in the highest tier of Portuguese league football â ranking 10th on the all-time list â as well as being finalists of the Taça de Portugal twice, finalists of the Taça da Liga twice, winning the Segunda Divisão twice and achieving nine appearances in the UEFA Cup/Europa League. MarÃÂtimo's most recent foray into European competition came in 2017, though their best performance was during the 2012âÂÂ13 season, finishing third in the Europa League group stage.
MarÃÂtimo was founded on 20 September 1910 as Club Português de Sport MarÃÂtimo, by Cândido Fernandes de Gouveia. The club adopted the red and green colours of the new Republican flag of Portugal to distinguish themselves from rivals Club Sports da Madeira, who used the blue and white colours of the old monarchy flag which had been replaced 15 days earlier. The name MarÃÂtimo, meaning Maritime in English, was used to reflect the fact that many of the team's players were workers of the nearby Funchal docks, a prominent employer at the time. The first ever match for MarÃÂtimo was a 2âÂÂ1 win against Santa Clara, a select team composed of workers of the Western Telegraph Company. Soon after they began playing teams of sailors from visiting British ships. José Rodrigues Barrinhas, an old-fashioned attacking centre-half, made a name for himself in these games and in matches against rivals CS Madeira.
In 1921âÂÂ22, the Portuguese clubs started playing a new national competition. The Campeonato de Portugal, played on a knock-out-basis (similar to the current Taça de Portugal), was the first national competition. After competing in the regional championships, the regional winners competed together to pick the Champion of Portugal. MarÃÂtimo make 13 appearances in the 17 editions of the competition. After several attempts, the club finally won the Campeonato de Portugal in 1925âÂÂ26. In the semi-final against Porto, MarÃÂtimo won 7âÂÂ1, and in the final against Belenenses MarÃÂtimo won 2âÂÂ0. It was after this great achievement that MarÃÂtimo was called "The Greatest of the Islands".
In the early 1930s, the club faced a serious financial crisis, although this did not affect its supremacy in the regional competitions. However, in 1934, a new national competition called Primeira Liga was created, in which teams outside the continental territory were excluded. Nevertheless, in 1938âÂÂ39 the teams from the islands started to participate in the Taça de Portugal, after the champions of Madeira and Azores played a qualification round between themselves. Being excluded from competing in the Primeira Liga, the club continued playing in regional competitions. It was in this period that MarÃÂtimo won many of the Regional Championships. In 1950, the team went through an amazing tour of Africa in which they made some great achievements.
After arduous negotiations with the Portuguese Football Federation, it was established that the winner in the regional championship of 1972âÂÂ73 could play a qualifying round with the last of the Segunda Divisão and the first of the Terceira Divisão. MarÃÂtimo won that regional championship and started to participate in the national championships. They therefore became the first team from a Portuguese island to participate in the national championship. Maritimo's record of 35 Madeira Championships won between 1916 and 1973 still stands.
The consequences of long years without being able to compete regularly in national competitions were visible in the beginning. The fact that the island was not able to put teams in national competitions showed the discrepancies in terms of infrastructures and organization between the regional and national reality. Yet in the 1976âÂÂ77 season the club wins the II Divisão and rises to the Portuguese First Division, remaining there for over three seasons. Due to the existing semi-professionalism and some logistical difficulties, the club is relegated to Second Division in 1980âÂÂ181, rising immediately next season, winning for the second time the II Divisão. After two seasons the club returns to Primeira Liga in the 1982âÂÂ83 season. Since then the club has remained in the Primeira Liga, consolidating its status as a team that consistently finishes in the top ten and competes for European qualification.
Until the early 1990s, the club's best result was 9th in the 1987âÂÂ88 season. The entry of a young coach, ambitious Brazilian Paulo Autuori, allied to greater internal organization and attractive attacking football, so that in the 1991âÂÂ92 campaign the club reached seventh place, staying just outside European qualification. The 1992âÂÂ93 season saw a "wonder-trio" (Ademir, Edmilson and Jorge Andrade) drive the club to have the third best attack of the league, with 56 goals. European qualification came in the final round, with a 3âÂÂ2 victory against Boavista. Again the club was a pioneer, being the first island team to achieve qualification for European competitions, under the 5th place achieved. That same season is also notable for the home wins against Sporting (4âÂÂ2) and Gil Vicente (7âÂÂ0).
In 1994âÂÂ95, another great achievement was made when the club qualified to the Taça de Portugal finals for the first time in its history, after defeating Porto in the semi-finals 1âÂÂ0. MarÃÂtimo disputed the final against Sporting, but lost 2âÂÂ0. Six years later, in the 2000âÂÂ01 season, MarÃÂtimo achieved the final again, after defeating Boavista in the semi-final 1âÂÂ0. This time MarÃÂtimo played the final against Porto, losing again 2âÂÂ0. However, as of 2023, MarÃÂtimo still remain the only club from Madeira to have reached the Portuguese Cup final.
From the 2001âÂÂ02 to the 2014âÂÂ15 season, the club has finished in the top ten of the table, with the exception of the 2006âÂÂ07 season, where they finished eleventh. In the 2014âÂÂ15 season, Maritimo reached the League Cup final for the first time ever, beating Porto in the semi-final but then losing to Benfica 2âÂÂ1. The following season they repeated this feat, playing against Benfica again, but losing 6âÂÂ2. The best ever league finish Maritimo have obtained was 5th place, first obtained in 1992âÂÂ93, and since then they have finished another five times in that position, most recently in the 2011âÂÂ12 season. In the 2012âÂÂ13 season, MarÃÂtimo qualified for the Europa League group stages for the first time ever, finishing third with a win against Club Brugge and two draws against Newcastle United.
Since the very beginning of the club's history, red and green have been the official colours. In 1910, the club adopted the red and green colours of the new Republican flag of Portugal to distinguish themselves from rivals Club Sports da Madeira, who used the blue and white colours of the old monarchy flag which had been replaced 15 days after the club's foundation, following the 5 October 1910 revolution.
Although there is no date or author, the first crest clearly refers to the maritime origins of the club, which is stated in the paddle, the float, the harpoon, and the anchor. The ball in the badge represents the sport played in the club.
For the 1916âÂÂ17 season, a new crest was created by José Inês Ramos, a designer at an Embroidery House in Funchal. The new crest maintains the maritime roots of the club, expressed in the ship's wheel. However a Lion was included in the new crest, which was to symbolize the strength of the new Champion of Madeira. Since then the crest has remained the same, with only some minor graphical changes over the years. The crest was updated again in 1999 to a modern version, following the formation of the SAD organisation, however the classic logo remained on the team jerseys until 2008. In 2022, the club announced the return of the classic crest, used from 1916 to 1999, as the primary logo.
Supporters of MarÃÂtimo are known as MarÃÂtimistas. The club has around 12,000 registered members (known as sócios), ranking MarÃÂtimo as the 6th most supported club in Portugal; in their most recent season in the Primeira Liga, MarÃÂtimo also had the 6th highest average home match attendance. The club has three predominant supporter groups, the Claque Esquadrão MarÃÂtimista, the Ultras Templários and the Ultras Fanatics 13.
The club's official anthem, "Marcha do MarÃÂtimo", was sung for the first time in 1950 following the successful Tour of Africa. Additional club anthems include "Maritimo, o Glorioso!", written by João LuÃÂs Mendonça, and "Duas Vezes Madeirense".
Famous persons who have publicly shown their support for MarÃÂtimo include businessman Joe Berardo, international footballer Cristiano Ronaldo - both are registered sócios of the club - and former President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Alberto João Jardim. Musician and 2017 Eurovision Song Contest winner Salvador Sobral has occasionally been seen wearing a MarÃÂtimo shirt during performances, and a viral video of indie band NAPA showed the group singing the club's anthem, Marcha do MarÃÂtimo, prior to their appearance at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.
MarÃÂtimo are known throughout the Portuguese-speaking world and have fan bases in former Portuguese colonies and regions with significant Portuguese communities; supporter clubs exist in London, Jersey, California, Angola and South Africa. The club maintains strong ties to a large Madeiran expat community in Venezuela and with affiliate club C.S. MarÃÂtimo de La Guaira; the four-time national champions were founded in 1959 by Madeiran fans of MarÃÂtimo. Similarly, MarÃÂtimo enjoys a presence in Cape Verde, where affiliate club MarÃÂtimo do Porto Novo compete in the Santo Antão South Island Championships. Since 2015, the club has also operated more than 70 youth football academies in Brazil, primarily in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, along with further academies in Argentina, the United States and Uruguay.
MarÃÂtimo has held long-established rivalries with fellow Madeira-based teams Nacional and União; matches between the sides are referred to as the Madeira derby. Additionally, MarÃÂtimo also has a rivalry with Azores-based team Santa Clara; matches between the two archipelago-based teams are classified as the dérbi insular (Islands derby), with the first competitive game between the two teams (a 0-0 draw) taking place o 29 August 1999.
Previously playing at the Campo do Almirante Reis until they moved out in 1935, MarÃÂtimo currently play their home games at the Estádio do MarÃÂtimo, the municipality stadium of Funchal. The stadium was originally built by rival club Nacional but came into the hands of the local Government after the club fell into a financial crisis. Although uniquely picturesque the stadium was rapidly aging, despite numerous face lifts over the years.
In October 2006, it was announced that the club would construct a new state-of-the-art stadium in the Praia Formosa area of West Funchal. However, after several delays and a political war over funding and planning, the stadium plans were put on hold indefinitely, adding to a list of set-backs that stretch well over a decade. The fact that archrivals Nacional were allowed to construct a new stand and training facility at their Estádio da Madeira (with government backing) angered MarÃÂtimo's fans even more.
A year later, on 14 September 2007, an agreement between the club's directors and the Madeiran government (of whom own a 40% share of the club) was reached to use the site of the current Estádio dos Barreiros as the location of a brand new, reconstructed commercial stadium. Work began on the new stadium on 20 July 2009, with the realigning of the pitch and demolition of the Bancada Nascente, reducing the capacity to 5,000 seats in the Bancada Central stand. Initial plans indicated that the stadium would be completed by 2011 but following the 2010 flooding disaster, the local government withdrew its funding and construction was halted. The club continued to use the stadium with only the Bancada Central (main stand) usable as the other three sides of the pitch were incomplete. On 25 March 2013, the club opened a new museum and club shop adjacent to the stadium.
After a four-year hiatus, the local government pledged â¬12 million towards the project and construction of the stadium resumed in May 2014. The initial work focused on finishing the three stands that had been left incomplete from the previous work and so a further reduction in capacity was made, bringing the number of usable seats to just 4,000. The new stands were finished and open to the public in January 2015, with the first game being played in front of 7,000 spectators on 18 January against Braga. The following week, demolition started on the main stand to make way for the completion of the stadium project. The current capacity of the stadium is 9,500, which will be boosted to 10,600 once the construction of the stands is complete (2 December).
The club also own the Campo da Imaculada Conceição, a small stadium in the north of Funchal. The land it stands on was purchased by supporters and donated to the club who thus constructed the stadium, which was officially inaugurated on 3 October 1965. Situated adjacent to the club's Complexo Desportivo, the ground is used for B team-matches and for training sessions.
MarÃÂtimo have consistently been one of the most attended teams in the Portuguese League and throughout the 1990s were often ranked as having the fourth-highest attendance and support after the big three clubs. A reduction in stadium capacity in the late 1990s, due to seating replacing all-standing areas, saw attendance numbers decline. From 2009 works to reconstruct the stadium saw a further temporary reduction in capacity to just 5,000 seats, until the newly-renovated project was completed in 2016, raising the capacity to over 10,600 seats.
Source: European Football Statistics
For B-team players, see C.S. MarÃÂtimo B. For Under-23 team players, see C.S. MarÃÂtimo Sub-23. For youth team players, see C.S. MarÃÂtimo Juniors.
Including only players with at least 100 appearances at the club, or who has appeared for their international team.
Updated 24 August 2017.
Updated 14 July 2017.
Like many other Portuguese clubs, MarÃÂtimo operates several sports teams outside of the football team. Although they are most recognisably successful in professional volleyball (See MarÃÂtimo volleyball), the club also field a prominent handball team (See MarÃÂtimo handball), a National Championship-winning women's basketball team and a popular futsal team (See MarÃÂtimo futsal). Other sports groups within the organisation include athletics, figure skating, fishing, futsal, karate, kart racing, rallying, rhythmic gymnastics, roller hockey, rugby union and swimming.