On 20 September 1910, according to the club's official date, Marítimo was founded in Funchal, Madeira. On 20 September 2027 the club turns 117 years old, and it celebrates back in Portugal's top division. Let's take a trip to the island where the "Greatest of the Islands" was born.

A club born by the sea

The founder was Cândido Fernandes de Gouveia, and the first name was Club Português de Sport Marítimo. Portuguese sources note that the exact founding date is not entirely certain, but the club traditionally celebrates on 20 September.

The name simply means "maritime". Many of the first players worked at the port of Funchal, and the link with the sea has stayed in the team's identity ever since.

Red and green, colours of an era

The first teams wore green and red sashes to stand out on the pitch. The colours were also a political statement: they were identified with the Portuguese Republican Party, while rivals Club Sports Madeira wore the blue and white of the monarchy.

A few weeks after the founding, in October 1910, Portugal became a republic, and green and red later went on to the new national flag. Ever since, fans have called their team the "Verde-Rubros", the "green-and-reds".

From the anchor to the wheel with the lion

The first crest was full of nautical symbols: an oar, a buoy, a harpoon and an anchor, together with a ball and the club's initials. In the 1916-17 season José Inês Ramos designed a new crest with a ship's wheel and a lion at its centre.

Hence the nickname "Leões do Almirante Reis", which recalls the Almirante Reis ground, where the team played until 1935. The crest was updated in 1999, but in 2022 the classic version returned.

1926: The "Greatest of the Islands"

The greatest moment came in 1925-26, when the club won the Campeonato de Portugal, the national championship of the time. In the semi-final Marítimo thrashed Porto 7-1, and in the final they beat Belenenses 2-0 in Porto.

After that triumph the team earned the nickname "O Maior das Ilhas", "the Greatest of the Islands". José Ramos and Pinga then became its first players to wear the Portugal shirt.

Europe, stars and a comeback

Marítimo made its European debut in the 1993-94 UEFA Cup and has made nine appearances in the UEFA Cup and Europa League in all. In 2001 it reached the Portuguese Cup final, losing 2-0 to Porto.

Funchal has seen Pepe, Danny, Bruno Fernandes, Moussa Marega and Jorge Costa pass through. The team plays at the renovated Estádio do Marítimo, also known as the Barreiros, with 10,600 seats.

Relegation came in 2023, ending an unbroken 38-year stay in the top flight. Three years later, on 26 April 2026, a 2-1 win over Benfica B sealed promotion, and Marítimo finished as Liga 2 champions. From the new season its shirts are made by Hummel.

Celebrate with us

One hundred and seventeen years on, the lion of Madeira is roaring among the big clubs again. Happy birthday, Marítimo, forever green, forever red!

Wear the island's colours and celebrate with us a team that never forgot where it started.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: The Estádio do Marítimo (Barreiros) in Funchal, 2020 – Nuno Caldeira, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.