2015–16 Campeonato de Portugal


The 2015–16 Campeonato de Portugal was the third season of Portuguese football's renovated third-tier league, since the merging of the Second and Third Divisions in 2013, and the first season under the current Campeonato de Portugal title. A total of 80 teams competed in this division, which began on 23 August 2015 and ended on 10 June 2016.

Format

The competition format consisted of two stages. In the first stage, the 80 clubs were divided in eight series of 10 teams, according to geographic criteria. The only exceptions were teams from Madeira, which were placed in the first series, and teams from the Azores, which were distributed through the latter series. In each series, teams played against each other in a home-and-away double round-robin system.
In the second stage, the two best-placed teams from each first-stage series were divided in two groups of eight teams, again according to geographic proximity, with home-and-away matches. The two group winners, plus the winner of a two-legged play-off between the two group runners-up, secured promotion to the LigaPro. To determine the overall division champion, the group winners contested a one-off grand final on neutral ground.
The remaining eight clubs from each first-stage series were divided in eight groups of eight teams, with home-and-away matches. The bottom-two teams from each group were relegated to the Districts Championships. The sixth-placed teams were paired into four two-legged play-out ties, with the four winners being paired into two further two-legged play-out ties. All six play-out losers were also relegated.

Teams

Relegated from the 2014–15 Segunda Liga:
From the 2014–15 Campeonato Nacional de Seniores:
Promoted from the 2014–15 District Championships:

Serie A

Serie B

Serie C

Serie D

Serie E

Serie F

Serie G

Serie H

Second stage

Promotion groups

North zone

South zone

Promotion play-off

Fafe won 1–0 on aggregate and were promoted.

Final

Relegation groups

Serie A

Serie B

Serie C

Serie D

Serie E

Serie F

Serie G

Serie H

Relegation play-out

First round

Lusitânia da Lourosa lost 3–2 on aggregate and were relegated.
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Atlético de Reguengos lost 4–2 on aggregate and were relegated.
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Vila Real lost 4–3 on aggregate and were relegated.
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Vianense lost 5–2 on aggregate and were relegated.

Second round

1–1 on aggregate. Arões lost 5–4 on penalties and were relegated.
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Águias do Moradal lost 3–0 on aggregate and were relegated.