Rio Ave celebrates its birthday on 10 May, the day in 1939 when its first elected board took office. The idea of founding the club had been born a few months earlier, in January 1939. On 10 May 2027 the club from Vila do Conde turns 88 years old.

A group of friends on the banks of the Ave

It all began with a group of friends in Vila do Conde, a seaside town just north of Porto. They wanted to put their town's name on the map. The idea was born at a match in Azurara, on the south bank of the river.

The sources disagree on the exact date of that first step: some say 17 or 18 January, others 10 January 1939. A provisional committee led by João Resende set up the club. The first elected board, with João da Silva Raposo as president, took office on 10 May 1939.

A name from the river

The vote on the name included other proposals, such as "Vilacondense Futebol Clube" and "Vila do Conde Sport Club". In the end the name of the Ave river won, the river that crosses the town and flows into the Atlantic.

Soon after its founding the team also got the nickname Rio Grande, "Big River". Its fans are called rioavistas, or simply vilacondenses.

Green and white stripes and a ship

Rio Ave's traditional shirt has vertical green and white stripes. Over the years the shorts and socks have alternated between green and white. The sources we found do not explain why these colours were chosen.

The crest is closely tied to the town. On top of an old leather ball with the initials RAFC sits the coat of arms of Vila do Conde: a sailing ship on green and white waves that stand for the sea.

For the club's 85th anniversary in 2024, the team presented a new shirt with the classic stripes and a new anthem, under the slogan "Todos a Bordo", "All Aboard".

From the Campo da Avenida to the Arches

The first ground, the Campo da Avenida, opened on 29 January 1940 with a 0-0 draw against neighbours Varzim. The team stayed there for 44 years.

On 13 October 1984 the Estádio dos Arcos opened, next to the arches of an 18th-century aqueduct. Mário Soares attended the opening. Capacity today is about 5,300, after the east stand was demolished in 2020.

Finals, Europe and big names

The team first reached the top flight in 1979. In 1981-82, under coach Félix Mourinho, José's father, they finished fifth. In 1984 they reached the Taça de Portugal final at the Jamor, where they lost 4-1 to Porto.

In 2014, with Nuno Espírito Santo on the bench, they played in both domestic cup finals and lost both to Benfica. But it brought their first appearance in the Europa League group stage. In 2020 they came within a whisker of knocking out AC Milan, who went through only on penalties.

The following season the team was relegated, but in 2021-22, under Luís Freire, they won the second-tier title and went straight back up.

Internationals such as Fábio Coentrão, Rui Jorge, Paulinho Santos and Quim started out at Rio Ave. Goalkeepers Jan Oblak and Ederson also wore the shirt, as did Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi.

Celebrate with us

From a group of friends on the banks of the Ave to Europe, the green and white stripes have travelled for 88 years. Happy birthday, Rio Ave, and always "all aboard"!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: the Chaves v Rio Ave match in the 2021-22 Segunda Liga – Estevoaei, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.