Rio_Ave
Rio Ave F.C.
Portuguese professional football club
Rio Ave Futebol Clube, commonly known as Rio Ave ([ˈʁi.u ˈavɨ]), is a Portuguese professional football club based in Vila do Conde, that competes in the Primeira Liga. The club is named after the Ave River, which flows through the town and into the Atlantic Ocean.
| Full name | Rio Ave Futebol Clube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Vilacondenses Rioavistas | |||
| Founded | 18 January 1939; 85 years ago (18 January 1939) | |||
| Ground | Estádio dos Arcos | |||
| Capacity | 12,815 | |||
| Owner | Evangelos Marinakis | |||
| President | Alexandrina Cruz[1] | |||
| Head coach | Luís Freire | |||
| League | Primeira Liga | |||
| 2022–23 | Primeira Liga, 12th of 18 | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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| ||||
 Current season | ||||
Founded in 1939, they play their home matches at Estádio do Rio Ave, also known as the Estádio dos Arcos. Built in 1985, the current stadium seats approximately 12,815 people.
The club's home colours are green and white striped shirts. Meanwhile, the shorts and socks have historically alternated between green or white.[2] Portuguese internationals Alfredo, Paulinho Santos, Quim, Rui Jorge and Fábio Coentrão started their careers at the club. Goalkeepers Jan Oblak and Ederson are some famous talents that were part of this side.
The Vilacondenses' best top-tier league finish was fifth in the 1981–82, 2017–18 and 2019–20 seasons.[3] They reached the 1984 Taça de Portugal Final, where they lost to Porto 4–1,[4] and the 2014 Taça de Portugal Final, where they lost to Benfica 1–0.[5] With this result, Rio Ave qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League, their first participation in a major European competition.
Rio Ave was founded in 1939, soon being nicknamed Rio Grande (Big River). The side had two of its best moments in the 1980s, under the management of Félix Mourinho, father of José Mourinho: in 1981–82, the club finished in a joint-best fifth place, and two years later it reached the Taça de Portugal final, losing to Porto 4–1.[6]
In 2013–14, the club reached both cup finals under the management of Nuno Espírito Santo, but lost to treble-winners Benfica in both. This qualified them to their first European campaign, the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.[7] New manager Pedro Martins led them past Swedish duo IFK Göteborg and IF Elfsborg to reach the group stage, where they came last.
Under Miguel Cardoso, Rio Ave came fifth in 2017–18, equalling their best finish.[8] Two years later, with Carlos Carvalhal in charge and Iranian Mehdi Taremi the league's joint top scorer, the club equalled this position with a new points record of 55.[9] In October 2020, the team reached the Europa League playoffs but lost at home to A.C. Milan, having conceded a penalty equaliser in the last minute of extra time and then losing 9–8 on penalties.[10] The season, under the returning Cardoso, ended with relegation after a 5–0 aggregate defeat to F.C. Arouca in the playoffs.[11]
After relegation, Rio Ave signed 35-year-old manager Luís Freire, who won promotion as champions in 2021–22 and was rewarded with a new contract.[12]
In 2023, Rio Ave's affiliated paying members (sócios) approved the creation of a SAD and the entry of an investor, the Greek Evangelos Marinakis, who had already invested in Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest.[13][14]
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q |  IFK Göteborg |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| PO | IF Elfsborg |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 (a) | ||
| Group J |  Dynamo Kyiv |
0–3 | 0–2 | 4th place | ||
 Steaua București |
2–2 | 1–2 | ||||
 Aalborg BK |
2–0 | 0–1 | ||||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q |  Slavia Prague |
1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 (a) |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  Jagiellonia Białystok |
4–4 | 0–1 | 4–5 |
| 2020–21 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  Borac Banja Luka |
— | 2–0 | — |
| 3Q |  Beşiktaş |
— | 1–1 (4–2 p) | — | ||
| PO |  Milan |
2–2 (8–9 p) | — | — |
- Notes
- 3Q: Third qualifying round
- PO: Play-off round
- GS: Group stage
Current squad
- As of 9 March 2024[15]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
National competitions
Regional competitions
|
Personnel honours |
|
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Luís Freire |
| Assistant Manager | Augusto Gama |
| First-Team Coach | Vítor Vinha |
| First-Team Coach |  Nuno Silva |
| First-Team Coach |  João Ferreira |
| Rehab Coach | Nuno André |
| Match Analyst | Hermógenes |
| Match Analyst | Roberto Tiago |
| Club Doctor | Basil Ribeiro |
| Club Doctor | André Dias |
| Physiotherapist | José Teixeira |
| Physiotherapist | Diogo Lopes |
| Physiotherapist | Pedro Matos |
| Nutritionist | Elton Gonçalves |
| Kit Manager | Pedro Festas |
| Kit Manager | Adelino Castro |
| Team Manager | Gualter Pires |
Artur Quaresma (1976–78)- Pedro Gomes (1978–79)
- Fernando Cabrita (1979–81)
- Félix Mourinho (1981–82)
- Pedro Gomes (1982–83)
- Félix Mourinho (1983–85)
- Mário Reis (1985–86)
Abel Braga (1986)- António Morais (1986–87)
- Mário Juliato (1987–88)
- Mário Reis (1988–89)
- Nicolau Vaqueiro (1989)
- Eurico Gomes (1989–90)
- Mário Reis (1990–91)
- Augusto Inácio (1991–92)
- Vieira Nunes (1992)
- José Rachão (1992–93)
- Quinito (1993–94)
- Jaime Pacheco (1994–95)
- Abel Braga (1995)
- Henrique Calisto (1995–96)
- Carlos Brito (1 July 1996 – 30 June 2000)
- Vítor Oliveira (1 July 2000 – 7 Nov 2001)
- Horácio Gonçalves (13 Nov 2001 – 29 Oct 2002)
- Carlos Brito (30 Oct 2002 – 30 June 2005)
- António Sousa (1 July 2005 – 28 Feb 2006)
- João Eusébio (28 Feb 2006 – 5 Jan 2009)
- Carlos Brito (6 Jan 2009 – 15 May 2012)
- Nuno Espírito Santo (1 July 2012 – 19 May 2014)
- Pedro Martins (22 May 2014 – 17 May 2016)
- Capucho (20 May 2016 – 10 Nov 2016)
- Luís Castro (14 Nov 2016 – 12 June 2017)
- Miguel Cardoso (12 June 2017 – 12 June 2018)
- José Gomes (13 June 2018 – 22 December 2018)
- Augusto Gama (interim) (23 December 2018 – 3 January 2019)
- Daniel Ramos (3 January 2019 – 30 June 2019)
- Carlos Carvalhal (1 July 2019 – 2 August 2020)
- Mário Silva (3 August 2020 – 30 December 2020)
- Pedro Cunha (interim) (30 December 2020 – 29 January 2021)
- Miguel Cardoso (29 January 2021 – 27 May 2021)
- Luís Freire (1 July 2021 – present)
| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup | League Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | 2DS | 2 | 30 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 51 | 26 | 45 | Round 4 | Promoted | |
| 1979–80 | 1D | 16 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 22 | 61 | 13 | Round 4 | Relegated | |
| 1980–81 | 2DS | 1 | 30 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 43 | 17 | 42 | Round 3 | Promoted | |
| 1981–82 | 1D | 5 | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 26 | 31 | 34 | Round 5 | ||
| 1982–83 | 1D | 8 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 43 | 45 | 29 | Round 3 | ||
| 1983–84 | 1D | 9 | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 35 | 35 | 29 | Runner-up | ||
| 1984–85 | 1D | 13 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 43 | 23 | Quarter-final | Relegated | |
| 1985–86 | 2DN | 1 | 30 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 52 | 19 | 49 | Round 4 | Promoted | |
| 1986–87 | 1D | 13 | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 33 | 40 | 25 | Round 5 | ||
| 1987–88 | 1D | 18 | 38 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 29 | 67 | 28 | Round 6 | Relegated | |
| 1988–89 | 2DS | 4 | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 51 | 30 | 41 | Round 3 | ||
| 1989–90 | 2DS | 10 | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 44 | 47 | 31 | Round 3 | ||
| 1990–91 | 2DS | 4 | 38 | 23 | 10 | 5 | 79 | 21 | 56 | Round 6 | Promoted | |
| 1991–92 | 2H | 4 | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 47 | 30 | 39 | Round 5 | ||
| 1992–93 | 2H | 5 | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 36 | 38 | Round 5 | ||
| 1993–94 | 2H | 4 | 34 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 43 | 23 | 44 | Quarter-final | ||
| 1994–95 | 2H | 11 | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 47 | 46 | 32 | Round 6 | ||
| 1995–96 | 2H | 1 | 34 | 21 | 5 | 8 | 58 | 42 | 68 | Round 5 | Promoted | |
| 1996–97 | 1D | 15 | 34 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 35 | 42 | 35 | Round 4 | ||
| 1997–98 | 1D | 9 | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 43 | 43 | 46 | Round 5 | ||
| 1998–99 | 1D | 14 | 34 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 47 | 35 | Round 4 | ||
| 1999–00 | 1D | 17 | 34 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 34 | 54 | 33 | Semi-final | Relegated | |
| 2000–01 | 2H | 5 | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 68 | 35 | 60 | Round 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | 2H | 8 | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 45 | 36 | 46 | Round 3 | ||
| 2002–03 | 2H | 1 | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 49 | 36 | 63 | Round 5 | Promoted | |
| 2003–04 | 1D | 7 | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 42 | 37 | 48 | Quarter-final | ||
| 2004–05 | 1D | 8 | 34 | 10 | 17 | 7 | 35 | 35 | 47 | Round 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | 1D | 16 | 34 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 34 | 53 | 34 | Round 5 | Relegated | |
| 2006–07 | 2H | 3 | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 44 | 37 | 53 | Round 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | 2H | 2 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 38 | 26 | 51 | Round 6 | Round 1 | Promoted |
| 2008–09 | 1D | 12 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 20 | 35 | 30 | Round 3 | Second Group Stage | |
| 2009–10 | 1D | 12 | 30 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 31 | Semi-final | Second Group Stage | |
| 2010–11 | 1D | 8 | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 35 | 33 | 38 | Quarter-final | Round 1 | |
| 2011–12 | 1D | 14 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 42 | 28 | Round 4 | Second Group Stage | |
| 2012–13 | 1D | 6 | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 35 | 42 | 42 | Round 4 | Semi-final | |
| 2013–14 | 1D | 11 | 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 32 | Runner-up | Runner-up | Qualified Europa League [B] [C] |
| 2014–15 | 1D | 10 | 34 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 38 | 42 | 43 | Semi-final | Second Group Stage | |
| 2015–16 | 1D | 6 | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 44 | 44 | 50 | Semi-final | Second Group Stage | Qualified Europa League |
| 2016–17 | 1D | 7 | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 41 | 39 | 49 | Round 3 | Group Stage | |
| 2017–18 | 1D | 5 | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 40 | 42 | 51 | Quarter-final | Group Stage | Qualified Europa League [A] |
| 2018–19 | 1D | 7 | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 50 | 52 | 45 | Round 5 | Group Stage | |
| 2019–20 | 1D | 5 | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 48 | 36 | 55 | Quarter-final | Group Stage | Qualified Europa League [A] |
| 2020–21 | 1D | 16 | 34 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 25 | 40 | 34 | Round 5 | DNP | Relegated |
- ^A Best league classification finish in the club's history.
- ^B Best cup run in the club's history.
- ^C Best league cup run in the club's history.
Div. = Division; 1D = Portuguese League; 2H = Liga de Honra; 2DS/2D = Portuguese Second Division
- "Colours of Football - Rio Ave FC". Colours of Football. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- "Rio Ave bate recorde de pontos na liga, Vitória já não chegará à Europa" [Rio Ave sets record for league points, Vitória will no longer reach Europe]. Tribuna Expresso (in Portuguese). 19 July 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- "FC Porto 4–1 Rio Ave". ZeroZero. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- da Silva Campos, António (25 June 2017). "Felix [sic] Mourinho deixou-nos um legado eterno" [Félix Mourinho left us an eternal legacy] (in Portuguese). Rio Ave F.C. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "First-timers Rio Ave out to finish off IFK". UEFA. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Nantes hire coach Miguel Cardoso to replace Claudio Ranieri". ESPN FC. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Presidente do Rio Ave confirma saída do treinador Carlos Carvalhal" [President of Rio Ave confirms exit of manager Carlos Carvalhal]. Record (in Portuguese). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- Cole, Richard (1 October 2020). "Europa League: Sporting humiliated, Rio Ave cruelly eliminated". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- Oludare, Shina (30 May 2021). "Ofori & Bukia's FC Arouca promoted to Primeira Liga after play-off triumph over Rio Ave". Goal. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- Veloso Gomes, André (22 June 2022). "Oficial: Luís Freire renova pelo Rio Ave" [Official: Luís Freire renews with Rio Ave]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- "Sócios do Rio Ave aprovam SAD e entrada de investidor grego". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- "Evangelos Marinakis, o milionário de "bolsos fundos e pouca paciência" que ama barcos, escreve letras de canções e vai investir no Rio Ave". Tribuna Expresso (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- "Equipa Principal" (in Portuguese). Rio Ave FC.
- Official website (in Portuguese)
- Zerozero team profile
- Detailed up-to-date club news