Clube de Futebol União, commonly known as União da Madeira, was a Portuguese football club based in Funchal, Madeira, notable for its six season in the Portuguese top-flight Primeira Liga, between the 1989âÂÂ90 and 1991âÂÂ92 seasons, the 1993âÂÂ94 and 1994âÂÂ95 seasons and most recently in the 2015âÂÂ16 season.
The club was originally founded on 1 November 1913, thus being one of the oldest football clubs in Portugal, and maintained a strong local rivalry with neighbours MarÃÂtimo and Nacional da Madeira throughout much of its history. After building mounting debts, and failing to fulfil consecutive matches leading to disqualification from competing in the Campeonato de Portugal â the country's fourth-tier league â União da Madeira were forcibly dissolved on 23 November 2021.
As a sports club, União da Madeira had sports departments for Basketball, Fencing, Football, handball, Roller Hockey, Rugby and Volleyball. The professional football team were notably sponsored by the Museu CR7, the local museum dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Funchal.
A new phoenix club, União da Bola Futebol Clube was founded in 2022, with the aim of "honouring the legacy" of the demised club. The club entered a senior football team into the 1ê Divisão of the Madeira Football Association.
The club was founded on 1 November 1913 initially as União Futebol Clube by, among others, César da Silva, João Fernandes Rosa, Alexandre Vasconcelos, José Anastácio do Nascimento and José Fernandes. The founding members shortly after its establishment decided to change the club's name to Clube de Futebol União in 1916.
Shortly after ÃÂngelo Olim Marote was appointed as the very first chairman of the club. A few years later the club was a founding member of the Madeira Football Association which it is still a part of today as well as competing in its annual AF Madeira Cup.
União won the third-tier championship in 2010âÂÂ11, thereby returning to the professional leagues after seven years away. In 2014âÂÂ15, managed by promotion specialist VÃÂtor Oliveira, the club came runners-up in Segunda Liga behind C.D. Tondela and reached the Primeira Liga for the first time in two decades.
The club's spell in the top flight lasted only one season, and União were relegated in 2016. Two years later, they fell into the third tier again, with two games left to play of the season. In 2020âÂÂ21, the club and fellow Madeirans A.D. Camacha and CSD Câmara de Lobos withdrew at the halfway point due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, but were not relegated. União da Madeira were forcibly dissolved and the club officially closed on 23 November 2021.
União's most recent home ground was the Campo do Adelino Rodrigues. The club led a nomadic existence since leaving the Estádio dos Barreiros in 2008 when the stadium was purchased by joint tenants and local rivals MarÃÂtimo from the local municipality.
They played at the Campo do Adelino Rodrigues for a short period before winning promotion back to the Segunda Liga in 2011 rendered that stadium as inadequate. União returned to Barreiros for the 2011âÂÂ12 season before relocating to the 3,300-capacity municipal stadium in Machico for the 2012âÂÂ13 campaign and then again to the Centro Desportivo da Madeira at Ribeira Brava in 2014. Whilst remaining at the modest 2,500-seat venue after winning promotion to the Primeira Liga in 2015, the club had an agreement with top division rivals Nacional to play its high-profile home games at their larger stadium, the Estádio da Madeira. The stadium previously hosted several cup matches. In 2018, União were relegated from the Segunda Liga and in December 2018, they returned to Campo do Adelino Rodrigues.
Updated 27 September 2017