Sporting CP B

History

Sporting CP had a B-team which competed in the third tier of the Portuguese football league system from 2000 to 2004. This original iteration of Sporting CP B was the 1st club in the senior domestic career of footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, where he made his domestic senior competition debut in a 2–1 away loss against Sport Clube Lusitânia on 1 September 2002, in the Azores (his official debut ever for a senior team had already happened on 14 August 2002 during a game of Sporting Portugal’s main team against Inter Milan in the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League).

In late May 2012, it was officially announced that six Primeira Liga clubs' B teams would compete in the 2012–13 Segunda Liga including Sporting's B team. This would increase the number of teams in the league from 16 to 22 as well as increasing the number of games needed to play in one season from 30 games to 42 games. Sporting B's first season back ended with a best-ever fourth place, under managers Oceano and later José Dominguez.

After the announcement of the creation of an under-23 championship in February 2018, club president Bruno de Carvalho announced the end of Sporting CP B.

After the dismissal of Carvalho in August 2018, Sousa Cintra reverted the former's decision, subscribing the reserve team to the new season in the Campeonato de Portugal (Portuguese football's third tier), but he later gave up, with Santa Iria replacing Sporting CP B.

In 2019, President Frederico Varandas decided to reestablish Sporting CP B for the next year's Campeonato de Portugal.

In 2021, Sporting CP B played in Liga 3, a new tier in the Portuguese league system, beginning with the 2021–22 season.

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Managerial history

• POR Vítor Damas (2000–2001)
• POR Jean Paul Castro (2001–2002)
• POR Luís Alegria (2002–2003)
• POR Jean Paul Castro (2003–2004)
• POR Oceano da Cruz (July 2012 – Oct 2012)
• POR José Dominguez (Oct 2012 – June 2013)
• POR Abel Ferreira (July 2013 – July 2014)
• POR Francisco Barão (2014)
• POR João de Deus (2014–2017)
• POR Filipe Çelikkaya (2020–2024)
• POR João Pereira (from July 1, 2024 to November 10, 2024, and then again from January 9, 2025 to March 22, 2025)
• POR João Gião (2025–present)

References

References

1. (17 February 2012). "Sete clubes interessados nas seis vagas para equipas B". Relvado.
2. Abola.pt. (2024-08-14). "Lembra-se da estreia de Ronaldo pelo Sporting? Foi há 22 anos contra... Sérgio Conceição (vídeo) {{!}} Abola.pt".
3. KeeG. "Sabia Que o 1º jogo como sénior de Cristiano Ronaldo foi nos Açores?".
4. (28 May 2012). "Liga: seis clubes inscreveram a equipa "B"". Mais Futebol.
5. Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de. (2012-02-17). "Sete clubes interessados nas seis vagas das equipas "B"".
6. (12 May 2013). "Aves falha o pódio". O Jogo.
7. (2018-03-07). "Sporting B vai deixar a II Liga". Diário de Notícias.
8. "Sporting: equipa B continua e joga Campeonato de Portugal". Mais Futebol.
9. (2018-07-16). "Santa Iria substitui o Sporting B no Campeonato de Portugal". O Jogo.
10. (31 October 2019). "Varandas revela: "A equipa B estará de volta no próximo ano"". SAPO.
11. "Liga 3: os 24 clubes que vão estrear o campeonato em 2021/22".
12. "Plantel". Sporting Clube de Portugal.