C.F. União


Clube de Futebol União, commonly known as União da Madeira, is a Portuguese football club based in Funchal, Madeira, currently playing in the Campeonato de Portugal. The club was founded on 1 November 1913, thus being one of the oldest football clubs in Portugal. The club's current home stadium is the Campo do Adelino Rodrigues. The club plays in yellow and blue, the official colours of the archipelago of Madeira.
União da Madeira has played in the Primeira Liga on six occasions, between the 1989–90 and 1991–92 seasons, the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons and most recently in the 2015–16 season.
As a sports club, União da Madeira has sports departments for Basketball, Fencing, Football, Handball, Roller hockey, Rugby and Volleyball. União da Madeira are currently sponsored by Italian sportswear manufacturer Macron and the Museu CR7, the local museum dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo who was born in Funchal.

History

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.
Shortly after Ângelo 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 2010–11, thereby returning to the professional leagues after seven years away. In 2014–15, managed by promotion specialist Vítor 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.

Stadium

União's current home ground is the Campo do Adelino Rodrigues. The club have led a rather nomadic existence since leaving the Estádio dos Barreiros in 2008 when the stadium was purchased by joint tenants and local rivals Marítimo 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 2011–12 season before relocating to the 3,300-capacity municipal stadium in Machico for the 2012–13 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 Liceu.

Current squad

As of 27 September 2017

Honours

National

Last updated: 15 January 2020