Football Craft: FC Alverca

F.C. Alverca

Futebol Clube de Alverca, founded in 1939, and based in Alverca do Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira,.

After many decades in the lower levels of Portuguese football, the club was promoted to top level in 1999, and had five presences in the Portuguese Primeira Divisão afterwards.

Alverca was relegated to the Liga de Honra in 2004, and folded, for financial reasons in 2005.

They returned in the 2006/07 season at amateur level. They played in Lisbon District Championship (FA Lisboa) - 2nd division, which is 6th level of Portuguese League, and in the same season they finished 5th. In the 07/08 season they finished as champions and got promoted to FA Lisboa- 1st division

Alverca now play in the District League in Lisbon, with their long history, they enjoyed a good spell in the top divisions and were a club that turned out good local players. The club also used young loan players from Benfica when they acted as a feeder club. When they reached the top division and had to terminate that agreement to be able to compete in the then Primeira Divisão.

In 2005 FC Alverca SAD were forced to file for bankruptcy with debts of 5 million EUROS, according to many reports.

The Final reason has never been given and till this day, fingers are pointed at the then president Luis Felipe Vieira (LVF), who incidentally became Benfica president in 2003, for his bad management.

Many blame the case of Pedro Mantorras ownership and the money owed by Benfica to Alverca.

Different reports say Benfica owned 50% of the players when they bought him, and Alverca believed they owned the other 40%, and the agent Joreg Manuel Mendes owning the other 10%.
According to some documents it was LVF whom had purchased that 40% out of his own money from Mantorass former club Progresso in Angola.

The FC Alverca SAD (Anonymous Sport Society) with debts to the Tax Office and Social Security Office, had no choice but to cease from playing senior football.

The return to the lower leagues of Portuguese was resumed in 2006 under FC Alverca and without a SAD.

The new president Helder Vieira elected last year has plans to try and get the club back into the National Competition and counting on new manager Paulo Gomes to deliver with local players.

and with their local support, everything is possible.

FC Alverca also have plans for a new sport complex and with their bright start in the lower leagues, It might not take too long before we see them in the Liga Orangina or Liga Zon Sagres (surely the names will change long before then).