Santa Clara is the only club from the Azores to have competed in the top division of the Portuguese Liga, being thus the westernmost top-flight club in Europe. They compete in the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese first division football league. Santa Clara's kit manufacturer is Umbro and their main sponsor is Lebull. The main local rivals are CD Operรกrio from Lagoa on the same island of Sรฃo Miguel. Other major rivals are C.S. Marรญtimo and C.D. Nacional, from the island of Madeira.
History
Santa Clara reached the Primeira Liga for the first time by coming third in the 1998โ99 Liga de Honra, but were instantly relegated back in last place. The team bounced back by winning the 2000โ01 Segunda Liga under Manuel Fernandes and later Carlos Manuel. Fernandes, who left for Sporting CP in January 2001, returned in October.
Despite coming 14th in their first top-flight season, Santa Clara were chosen by UEFA to play in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup when Vitรณria S.C. withdrew, needing the summer to renovate their Estรกdio D. Afonso Henriques for UEFA Euro 2004. They beat Armenia's Shirak FC 5โ3 on aggregate in the first round before falling 9โ2 to Czechs FK Teplice in the second.
Santa Clara were relegated in 2003, and then spent the next 15 years in the second tier, with the lowest point being 2014โ15 when the club came 19th, saving themselves from relegation with three games remaining.
In 2018, Carlos Pinto's Santa Clara team ended their exile by finishing second to C.D. Nacional, and he subsequently left. His successor Joรฃo Henriques led Santa Clara to two consecutive 10th-placed finishes, their best results for position and points (43) in their history. He left in July 2020, having secured a third consecutive top-flight season for the first time in club history.
Under his successor Daniel Ramos in 2020โ21, the club finished a best-ever sixth to qualify for the inaugural UEFA Conference League.
Santa Clara defeated KF Shkupi (North Macedonia) and NK Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) before falling to FK Partizan (Serbia) in the Conference League playoffs. Ramos left unexpectedly in October 2021 with the team in 15th. Mรกrio Silva concluded the season with the team in 7th, earning a two-year contract extension, as well as taking the team to the semi-finals of the Taรงa da Liga (at FC Porto's expense) for the first time.
Silva was sacked in January 2023 with the team 15th after as many games; the form did not improve under successors Jorge Simรฃo and Danildo Accioly and Santa Clara finished last, ending five years in the top flight.
The following season, under new manager Vasco Matos, Santa Clara were crowned champions of the 2023-24 Liga Portugal 2, securing their promotion back to the top flight of Portuguese football. The 2024-25 Primeira Liga season saw Santa Clara finish with a club record 57 points, good enough for 5th place and qualification to the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League for the second time in club history.
Stadium
Santa Clara play in the 12,500-seat Estรกdio de Sรฃo Miguel in Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the Azores. Prior to this, the club also used Campo Municipal Jรกcome Correia to host home games.
Honours
- Segunda Liga
- Winners (2): 2000โ01, 2023โ24
- Portuguese Second Division B
- Winners (1): 1997โ98
Players
Current squad
- As of 15 September 2026
