Club
Sport Marítimo, or just Marítimo, is a Portuguese
sports club best-known for its football team that plays in the
Estádio dos Barreiros in Funchal, Madeira Islands. They
are the biggest club on the island of Madeira, overshadowing
their neighbours from the Choupana Hills district, CD Nacional.
Their
most recent foray into European competition came in 2004-05,
when Gustavo Manduca's calm finish gave them a 1-0 lead after
the first leg of the UEFA Cup first-round tie against Rangers
F.C.. They went out on penalties after a tense second leg, but
still maintain a formidable home record against European opposition,
beating the heavyweights Leeds United F.C. whilst said club
were in their heyday.
Marítimo
are now regarded as one of the top 6 or 7 clubs in Portugal,
and are widely known throughout the Portuguese speaking world,
in countries such as Brazil, Angola and Mozambique. The club's
reserve team, C.S. Marítimo B, compete in the Portuguese
Second Division.
Origins
Founded on September 20, 1910 as Club Português de Sport
Marítimo, by Cândido Fernandes de Gouveia, the
club adopted the red and green colours of the new Republican
flag of Portugal, so as to distinguish themselves from rivals
Club Sports da Madeira, who used the blue and white colours
of the old Monarchy flag. The name Marítimo, 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 Marítimo was a 2-1 win against Santa
Clara, a select team comprised of workers of Western Telegraph
Company, and soon after 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 the rivals CS Madeira.
The
club also has a big fans base in Venezuela with sister club
Club Sport Marítimo de Venezuela becoming Champions on
several occasions from Caracas, Venezuela. The club was founded
in 1959 by Portuguese immigrants living in Caracas, who based
their new club on their favourite team from back home, CS Marítimo
from the island of Madeira, who today compete in the Superliga.
Even today, strong ties are kept between both clubs and their
supporters from either side of the Atlantic ocean.
Rivalries
Marítimo's main local rivals are C.D. Nacional, although
there is also plenty of ill-felling towards minnows C.F. União,
who are effectively the 'third club of Madeira' after the aforementioned.
The Madeira derby between Marítimo and Nacional is often
associated with the clubs followers' differing culture and way
of life. The fans of Nacional, being of a higher socio-economic
status than those of Marítimo, are mainly lobbyists for
the commercial expansion of Madeira, but the working class Marítimo
followers are keen to preserve Madeira. This only exacerbates
the ill-feeling between the clubs, which is made even more tense
by the fact that controversial regional governor Alberto João
Jardim is a self-confessed fan of Marítimo.
The
rivalry heightened in the mid-1990s when Jardim proposed a plan
to unite Madeira's three main clubs, who at the time were all
competing in the top division. Nacional and União both
pledged their support for the scheme, in a bid for Madeira to
realistically contend with the "Big Three" for the
league title, however Marítimo's fans rejected the idea
in mass numbers, stamping their superiority on Madeira's footballing
scene.
A
lesser rivalry is also enjoyed between Marítimo, and
indeed Madeira's other main clubs, and Santa Clara, who hail
from the Azores archipelago. The "derby of the islands"
is rarely contended, yet there is usually plenty of competitiveness
in the battle to come out as the 'top island'.
Fans
Marítimo are known throughout the Portuguese speaking
world and have significant fan bases in the former Portuguese
colonies of Brazil, Angola and Cape Verde, as well as areas
of North East United States, Canada, the United Kingdom (specifically
Jersey and London) and South Africa.
The
club also has a big fans base in Venezuela with sister club
Club Sport Marítimo de Venezuela from Caracas, Venezuela,
becoming national champions on several occasions. The club was
founded in 1959 by Portuguese immigrants living in Caracas,
who based their new club on their favourite team from back home
in Madeira. Even today, strong ties are kept between both clubs
and supporters from either side of the Atlantic ocean.
Closer to home, the club has a proud reputation of being one
of the most supported clubs in Portugal after the Big three,
and the most popular club on their home island of Madeira, outranking
local rivals Nacional and União. The club has over 35,000
registered members (sócios) and two predominant groups
of Ultras, the Esquadrão Maritimista and the Ultras Templários,
the bigger and more infamous of the two.
There are several famous fans of Marítimo who have publicly
declared their support for the team on various occasions, none
more famous than Madeira's favourite son Cristiano Ronaldo,
who is a registered sócio and friend of current President
Carlos Pereira (even though he played for the youth teams of
fierce rivals Nacional). Other celebrated figures associated
with the club include multimillionaire businessman Joe Berardo
and Madeira's Regional Governor, the controversial politician
João Jardim.
The club was used a political vehicle in the 1970s during Madeira's
fight for freedom and autonomy from mainland Portugal. Governor
Jardim proclaimed his support of the club in order to gain votes
and the backing from the people of Madeira, while the people
in-turn supported Marítimo as a symbol of their pride
and allegiance to Madeira. Ever since, the club have enjoyed
the status as the island's most popular team ("Equipa maior
das ilhas").
Stadium
Previously playing at the Campo do Almirante Reis until they
moved out in 1957, Marítimo currently play their home
games at the Estádio dos Barreiros, the municipality
stadium of Funchal. Although uniquely picturesque, the stadium
is rapidly ageing despite numerous facelifts over the years
and, for the best part of a decade, the club has sought after
an alternative site for a new stadium.
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, named Estádio do Marítimo. 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 Marítimo's fans even more.
A
year later, on September 14, 2007, an agreement between the
club's directors and the Madeira 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. Initial plans proclaim that
the new venue will be operational by 2010, Marítimo's
centenary year.
Official Song
Oiça o Hino do Marítimo e conheça a letra.
Lá
vem, lá vem
Os nossos maravilhas
Os endiabrados
Campeões das ilhas
Não
há, não há
Não há, outro igual
Como o Marítimo
O mais popular
Lá
vem, lá vem
Os nossos campeões
O grande Marítimo
Clube das tradições
Vamos
rapazes
Cantai com ritmo
Cantei com alma
Saudai o Marítimo
Vamos
rapazes
Cantai com ritmo
Cantei com alma
Saudai o Marítimo
Oh
Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Sabes honrar a Madeira
Com orgulho e altivez
Oh Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Tens o nome à cabeceira
Do desporto português
Oh
Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Só vens saudar a Madeira
Com orgulho e altivez
Oh, Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Tens o nome à cabeceira
Do desporto português
Vamos
rapazes
Cantai com ritmo
Cantai com alma
Saudai o Marítimo
Vamos
rapazes
Cantai com ritmo
Cantai com alma
Saudai o Marítimo
Oh
Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Só vens saudar a Madeira
Com orgulho e altivez
Oh, Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Tens o nome à cabeceira
Do desporto português
Oh
Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Só vens saudar a Madeira
Com orgulho e altivez
Oh, Marítimo, oh Marítimo
Tens o nome à cabeceira
Do desporto português
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