Rio Ave Futebol Clube, commonly known as Rio Ave (), 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.
Founded in 1939, they play their home matches at Estádio do Rio Ave FC, also known as the Estádio dos Arcos. Built in 1985, the current stadium seats approximately 5,300 people.
The club's home colours are green and white striped shirts. Meanwhile, the shorts and socks have historically alternated between green or white. 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. They reached the 1984 Taça de Portugal Final, where they lost to Porto 4–1, and the 2014 Taça de Portugal Final, where they lost to Benfica 1–0. With this result, Rio Ave qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League, their first participation in a major European competition.
History 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. The season, under the returning Cardoso, ended with relegation after a 5–0 aggregate defeat to F.C. Arouca in the playoffs.
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.
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.
European record UEFA club competition record 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 2–0 0–1 2016–17 3Q Slavia Prague 1–1 0–0 1–1 (a) 2018–19 2Q Jagiellonia Białystok 4–4 0–1 4–5 2020–21 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 UEFA coefficient
Correct as of 21 May 2025.
Rank Team Points131 Santa Clara12.453132 Paços de Ferreira12.453133 Rio Ave12.453134 Astana12.000135 Rijeka12.000
Players
First team Current squad
Out on loan
U23 squad
Club staff Coaching staff
RoleName Head Coach Sotiris Sylaidopoulos Assistant coach Vaggelis Samios Assistant coach Christos Rogkas Assistant coach Augusto Gama Goalkeeping coach Mario Galinović Fitness coach Ilias Ampatzidis Analyst Alex Maniatoglou
Honours
National competitions Taça de Portugal Runners-up (2): 1983–84, 2013–14 Taça da Liga Runners-up (1): 2013–14 Supertaça de Portugal Runners-up (1): 2014 Segunda Divisão / Liga Portugal 2 Winners (4): 1985–86, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2021–22 Terceira Divisão Winners (1): 1976–77
Regional competitions AF Porto Cup Winners (1): 1966–67
Personnel honours SJPF Player of the Month Evandro – December 2003 João Tomás – November 2009, November 2010 SJPF Young Player of the Month Miguel Lopes – October 2008, November 2008 Yazalde – February 2009 Fábio Faria – November 2009, December 2009 Vítor Gomes – October 2011
Coaching history
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 – 5 November 2024) Petit (7 November 2024 – 17 May 2025) Sotiris Sylaidopoulos (27 June 2025 – present)
League and cup history Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup League Cup Notes1978–792DS2302055512645Round 4Promoted1979–801D16305322226113Round 4Relegated1980–812DS13016104431742Round 3Promoted1981–821D5301389263134Round 51982–831D83013314434529Round 31983–841D93011712353529Runner-up1984–851D13307914274323Quarter-finalRelegated1985–862DN13019110521949Round 4Promoted1986–871D13308913334025Round 51987–881D183871417296728Round 6Relegated1988–892DS4341699513041Round 31989–902DS1034101113444731Round 31990–912DS43823105792156Round 6Promoted1991–922H43416711473039Round 51992–932H534141010393638Round 51993–942H4341888432344Quarter-final1994–952H113412814474632Round 61995–962H1342158584268Round 5Promoted1996–971D153481115354235Round 41997–981D934121012434346Round 51998–991D143481115264735Round 41999–001D17348917345433Semi-finalRelegated2000–012H5341798683560Round 62001–022H834121012453646Round 32002–032H1341969493663Round 5Promoted2003–041D734121210423748Quarter-final2004–051D83410177353547Round 62005–061D163481016345334Round 5Relegated2006–072H3301587443753Round 42007–082H23013125382651Round 6Round 1 Promoted2008–091D12308616203530Round 3Second Group Stage2009–101D123061311223331Semi-finalSecond Group Stage2010–111D83010812353338Quarter-finalRound 12011–121D14307716334228Round 4Second Group Stage2012–131D63012612354242Round 4Semi-final2013–141D11308814213532Runner-upRunner-upQualified Europa League 2014–151D 1034101311384243Semi-finalSecond Group Stage2015–161D 63414812444450Semi-finalSecond Group StageQualified Europa League2016–171D 73414713413949Round 3Group stage2017–181D 53415613404251Quarter-finalGroup stageQualified Europa League 2018–191D73412913505245Round 5Group stage2019–201D53415109483655Quarter-finalGroup stageQualified Europa League 2020–211D163471313254034Round 5DNPRelegated
References
External links
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