Early years

Gil Vicente Futebol Clube was founded on 3 May 1924, after the creation of other short-lived clubs in Barcelos, such as Barcellos Sporting Club and União Foot-ball Club Barcellense.^[2]: 11 A group of friends who would gather in the theater square (Largo do Teatro, currently Largo Doutor Martins Lima), naming the club after the theater, itself named after the Portuguese playwright.^[3] The initial name of the club was Gil Vicente Football Barcelense, including a mention of its city that was lost through time.^[3] Despite the foundation in 1924, only in 1931 did the club register in the Braga Football Association, participating in the following year in the district league after the city cup against Barcelos Sporting Club.^{[2]: 21–28}

In 1943 (possibly 1953^[2]: 50), the club is promoted to the Second Division, and one year later stops participating in the regional championship to play in a national league starting.^[4][3]

The first record of a game abroad is in April 1953 against Tuy Racing Club.^[2]: 50

Gil Vicente achieved a club record semi-final in the Portuguese Cup in 1976–77, losing against SC Braga only after a replay match. In the following edition, the club reached the quarter-finals, losing against FC Porto.^[3]

Ascent to top tier

In the 1980s Gil Vicente improved and reached two third places in the North section of the second division. In 1989–90 Segunda Divisão, led by Rodolfo Reis,^[3] the team finally achieved promotion to the top tier, winning the North Zone and obtaining a second place in the championship-playoff against Salgueiros and Farense. Despite the success, the season is marked by a controversial decision. An electrical failure in an away match at Maia during a 2–0 Gil Vicente lead with 16 minutes left led to the game being interrupted. The Portuguese Football Federation first awards Gil Vicente a 3–0 win and fines Maia, but the decision would later be changed and the clubs were ordered to repeat the entire match, something which the club claims was inconsistent with another decision in the same year.^[4]

In 1990-91, the first season in the top tier, Gil Vicente narrowly avoided relegation. There were 20 participants, with 5 relegation spots, due to a planned decreased to 18 clubs. Gil Vicente finished 13-th with 33 points, the same as relegated Tirsense. The compact Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo proved to be a tough spot for visitors, as only champions Benfica and runner-ups FC Porto able to win.

For 1991-92, the club hired former FC Porto and Sporting CP legend António Oliveira as a manager. The club finished 13th again, 2 points clear of relegation. Relegation was avoided with a 1–0 win over already-crowned champions FC Porto with a goal scored by Morato.^[5] Another highlight was reaching the quarter-finals of the Cup, losing to Boavista 1–0 at home.^[6]

Vítor Oliveira was hired to managed the team for the 1992-93 campaign. Gil Vicente had a tough start, losing three of the first four matches, including a 7–1 thrashing at Marítimo. The season recovered and the team went on to take a home win and an away draw against eventual third-placed Sporting CP and a home draw against runner-ups SL Benfica.^[7] The team finished a club record ninth, 3 points clear of relegation. Ljubinko Drulović was the team's star, scoring 10 goals.^[7] He would be transferred to Porto in the Winter of the following season, featuring in all of the teams who won the historic five consecutive league titles.

Oliveira was kept for the following two campaigns. In 1993-94, Gil Vicente finished tenth, 5 points of relegation. Highlights include one away and two home draws against the eventual top 3 teams. Home games were again a team strength, with only Porto and Benfica achieving fewer than 2 losses. In 1994-95, the team struggled more. It achieved only 7 wins, tied for third-worst in the league. Despite this, its league-leading 13 draws were enough to secure 13th, 3 points clear of relegation. Surprisingly, two of the seven wins came against runner-ups Benfica, both 1–0. The home win was ensured with a stoppage penalty scored by Tuck while the away win goal was scored by Congolese striker Makopoloka Mangonga.^[8][9]

For 1995-96, the club hired manager Bernardino Pedroto. The team struggled early, with only 4 points in the first 7 games in the first season where a win was worth 3 points. The form recovered and three well-time consecutive March wins helped achieve 12th place, 3 points clear of relegation. This was the season where hometown player Carlitos established himself in the first teamm, playing 33 league games and scoring 5 goals, both team-leading statistics.^[10]

Relegation and return

The 1996-97 was disastrous and the team finished bottom of the league with 19 points, 11 points behind the closest opponent. Pedroto was replaced after the a 1–0 away loss against Espinho in December, achieving only 4 points in the first 12 games. Incoming manager Fernando Festas achieved only one win before being replaced in March after a 4–1 away loss against Chaves. Assistant coach José Marconi led the team until the end of the season, taking two wins in the last 10 games, but coaching the team through its worst defeat in the top tier: a 7–0 away loss at Boavista.^[11]

In 1997-98, Henrique Nunes was hired to manage the team. Gil Vicente achieved the fourth position in the league, 2 points behind promoted Alverca. The club actually celebrated promotion at one point, as Alverca were a satellite club of SL Benfica, and thus forbidden from promotion to the top tier according to the relegation. As the season approached, Alverca, at the time led by future SL Benfica chairman Luís Filipe Vieira asked to be removed of the satellite status a few weeks before the end of the season. The request was approved by the Portuguese Football Federation and Gil Vicente would remain in the second tier for another season despite a court appeal.^[12]

In 1998-99 Gil Vicente finally obtained its first national silverware. The team won the Second Division with 68 points, 7 points clear of second place. Led by Álvaro Magalhães and with goal scoring forwards Almani Moreira and Diocleciano Tavares, both with 12 goals, the team also had a highlight 3–2 home win against Sporting in the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup. The club celebrated the promotion and its 75th birthday with a friendly against SL Benfica in June 1999.^[13]

Magalhães remained at the helm as Gil Vicente obtained a club record Primeira Liga fifth place in the 1999–2000 season, which would have been enough for a UEFA Cup spot in the previous season. The team was also a protagonist of the last matchday. Already out of contention for the fourth place, the team hosted FC Porto, who was 1 point behind leaders Sporting CP, who were on a 18-year spell without a league title.^[14] Gil Vicente beat FC Porto 2–1 with goals by Lemos, Carlitos and former player Drulović.^[15]

In the following two seasons, the club returned to more typical league finishes in the bottom half of the table. Vítor Oliveira returned to manage the club in December 2001, taking over the job of Luís Campos. In the 2002-03 season the team achieved eighth place with 44 points. The season included 2 wins against Sporting, including a 3–0 away win at Estádio José Alvalade, with goals from Manoel, Gaspar, and Paulo Alves.^[16] In February 2003, Luís Loureiro became the first squad player to be receive a call up to the Portugal national football team.^[17]

In the following two seasons, Gil Vicente achieved consecutive 12th and 13th places, with 40 points, both seasons marked by coaching changes: from Mário Reis to Luís Campos and then to Ulisses Morais.

In the 2005–06 Primeira Liga, Gil Vicente fielded an ineligible player being Angolan forward Mateus in the "Mateus Affair". They therefore lost the right to participate in the 2006–07 Primeira Liga, and Belenenses were allowed to stay up.^[18] Gil Vicente were accused by the special sports instances that rule Portuguese football of illegally resorting to regular courts on the dispute of Mateus, according to Gil Vicente, illegal contract with his former employer, FC Lixa.^[19]

Still convinced this is not a sports-related case but rather work-related, Gil Vicente continued in the courts.^[20] Along with the relegation, they were also suspended from the Taça de Portugal for one season.^[21]

On 29 May 2011, the club returned to the top flight as champions of the 2010–11 Liga de Honra with a 3–1 home win over C.D. Fátima in front of a club record crowd; manager Paulo Alves beat C.D. Feirense on goal difference to the title, and the key players were strikers Hugo Vieira and Zé Luís.^[22] The club finished as runners-up of the 2011–12 Taça da Liga, eliminating Sporting CP from the groups, S.C. Braga on penalties in the semi-final and losing 2–1 to S.L. Benfica in the final in Coimbra.^[23]

A four-year spell in the top flight ended in 2014–15, when Gil Vicente lost 2–1 at F.C. Penafiel in the penultimate round of matches.^[24] On 29 April 2018, the club slipped into the third tier for the first time since 1971, but had a place in the 2019–20 Primeira Liga secured as a result of the appeal against the "Matheus Affair".^[25] On May 8, 2022, Gil Vicente qualified for a European competition, UEFA Europa Conference League, for the first time in their history, after finishing fifth in the 2021–22 Primeira Liga season.

Other sports

While today only the football section exists, Gil Vicente has had a roller hockey team, and athletes representing the club in cycling and pedestrianism.^{[2]: 39, 50}

Current squad

As of 17 January 2024^[29]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  BRA Vinícius Dias 2 DF  POR Zé Carlos 4 DF  POR Né Lopes 5 DF  POR Kiko Pereira 6 MF  PER Jesús Castillo 7 FW  FRA Tidjany Touré (on loan from Feyenoord) 8 MF  SUI Maxime Dominguez 9 FW  IRN Ali Alipour 10 MF  JPN Kanya Fujimoto 12 GK  POR Brian Araújo 13 DF  BRA Gabriel Pereira 14 MF  CRC Roan Wilson 16 MF  POR André Simões

No. Pos. Nation Player 23 DF  POR Leonardo Buta (on loan from Udinese) 24 MF  CIV Mory Gbane (on loan from Khimki) 25 MF  POR Pedro Tiba 26 DF  POR Rúben Fernandes (captain) 27 FW  POR Miguel Monteiro 29 FW  ANG Depú 33 GK  RUS Stanislav Kritsyuk 35 DF  BRA Lipe 42 GK  BRA Andrew 58 DF  BRA Thomas Luciano 70 FW  POR Félix Correia (on loan from Juventus) 76 MF  POR Martim Neto (on loan from Benfica) 77 FW  BRA Murilo Costa

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 11 FW  BRA Marlon (at Guarani until 31 December 2024) 21 FW  CRO Roko Baturina (at Racing Santander until 30 June 2024) 99 FW  POR André Liberal (at Vila Real until 30 June 2024) — DF  BRA Lucas Barros (at Tondela until 30 June 2024)