Porto

Porto (in English also Oporto), formerly Portucale, population 263,000 in 15 parishes, with 1,551,950 in the metropolitan area, is Portugal's second city and district seat. It is situated in the north of the country, on the northern bank of the Douro River, just in the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sports

As in most Portuguese cities, football is the most important sport in the city. Top division champions FC Porto and Boavista FC are both from Porto, while SC Salgueiros, a third club, has fallen into heavy debts and now plays in the third division after being one of the most regular first division clubs during the 80s and 90s. There are two major grounds, the Estádio do Dragão and the Estádio do Bessa, owned by the two SuperLiga clubs and present in the {{ec2|2004}} . Salgueiros, who sold their Vidal Pinheiro ground to the Porto Metro company planned to build a new one in the Arca d'Água zone, few hundred meters away from the old grounds, but due to a large underground water pocket, it is impossible to build there, and so they moved to the Estádio do Mar in Matosinhos, owned by Leixões SC. As there isn't a multi-purpose city-owned stadium, the only with athletics track is the Estádio Universitário, where the rugby team of the CDUP (Porto University Sports Team) plays. There are other football grounds, with sand or dirt surfaces, owned by clubs in the amateur league, featured in a cult show on NTV (now RTP N) named N*Amadores, the exception being FC Porto's second stadium, the Campo da Constituição, now a footballing school.

Related Topics:
Football - FC Porto - Boavista FC - SC Salgueiros - Estádio do Dragão - Estádio do Bessa - SuperLiga - Porto Metro - Matosinhos - Leixões SC - Rugby - CDUP - RTP N - Campo da Constituição

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FC Porto has been crowned the kings of European football twice by winning the Champions League in 1987 and 2004.

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There are other sports arenas in Porto, notably the city-owned Pavilhão Rosa Mota (now unused due to a bad relationship between the mayor and the FC Porto board), swimming pools in the Constituição area, between the Marquês and Boavista, and other minor arenas, such as the Pavilhão do Académico.

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In 1958 and 1960, Porto's streets hosted the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix on the Boavista street circuit. A reenactment of the races was held from 8 July to 10 July, 2005.

Related Topics:
1958 - 1960 - Formula One - Portuguese Grand Prix - Boavista - 8 July - 10 July - 2005

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