Sporting CP (handball) explained

Sporting Clube de Portugal has a professional handball team based in Lisbon, Portugal, since 1932, and plays in Andebol 1. The club is one of the most decorated handball clubs in Portugal, having won 47 national titles, 16 Regional titles and 2 International titles.

History

Handball was introduced in Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1932, under the influence of Salazar Carreira,^[1] who introduced the sport to the club. It was on 10 April that a Sporting Portugal team played its first game in the sport, then in the eleven-a-side variant, the only one practised at the time, with the team beating Centro de Armas 1-0. The first official match would take place a month later against the same opponent, on 15 May 1932.

Indoor handball, which later became known as seven-a-side handball, was approved by the International Handball Federation in 1937, but the first demonstration of this variant in Portugal only took place on 12 September 1949 at the Cascais skating rink, when a Sporting team faced and beat another from Dramático de Cascais by 25-5, setting the tone for what would become one of the most emblematic sports in Portugal: Evaristo Ribeiro; Artur Mira and Rui Lanceiro; Fernando Nunes; Pereira de Sousa; Domingos Vicente and Joaquim Chagas, with Pinto dos Santos deputising.

Officially, Sporting started seven-a-side handball in the 1950-51 season and the sport immediately took root in the club, winning the first national championship in Portugal the following season. Initially, the seven-a-side handball season began in the summer after the 11-a-side competitions had finished, which was justified by the fact that the players were practically the same.

Sporting dominated Portuguese handball, particularly in the sixties and seventies and even in the eighties, with emphasis on the period from 1966 to 1973, in which seven National Championships were won in eight possible, five of which were consecutive, with a mythical team that became known as Os Sete Magníficos (The Magnificent Seven).^[2]

In 1995, Sporting fans were forced to choose the modalities to keep in the club, due to financial problems, having chosen handball and futsal, leading to the closure of the basketball, rink hockey and volleyball sections (which in the meantime would be reactivated).^[3]

Facilities

Pavilhão João Rocha

Pavilhão João Rocha is a multi-sports pavilion located in the parish of Lumiar, in Lisbon. Located next to the Estádio José Alvalade, it is the home of Sporting CP indoor sports. In honor of one of the most distinguished figures in the history of Sporting, the pavilion was named after former club president, João Rocha, who remained in office from September 1973 to October 1986. Its inauguration took place on the day 21 June 2017.^[4]

Kits

Honours

Domestic competitions

• Portuguese League: 22

1951–52, 1955–56, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1985–86, 2000–01, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023–24

• Divisão de Elite

2

2004–05, 2005–06

• Portuguese Cup – record : 18

1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24

• Portuguese Super Cup: 5

1998, 2002, 2014, 2023, 2024

• Campeonato De Lisboa Regional: 16

1950–51 • 1951–52 • 1952–53 • 1954–55 • 1955–56 • 1956–57 • 1957–58 • 1959–60 • 1960–61 • 1961–62 • 1962–63 • 1963–64 • 1964–65 • 1965–66 • 1967–68 • 1968–69

National & International Competitions

• Double

Winners (5): 1971–72, 1972–73, 1980–81, 2000–01, 2023–24

• Triple

Winners (1): 2023–24

• EHF European Cup

2

2009–10, 2016–17

Current squad

Squad for the 2024–25 season

Goalkeepers

• 20 André Kristensen
• 92
• 99 Santiago Póvoas

Left Wingers

• 17 Orri Freyr Thorkelsson
• 22 Diogo Branquinho

Right Wingers

• 4 Pedro Portela
• 19 Mamadou Gassama

Line players

• 2 Edney Silva
• 10 William Höghielm
• 44 Christian Moga

Left Backs

• 13 Salvador Salvador
• 79 Martim Costa

Central Backs

• 7 Natan Suárez
• 8 Jan Gurri
• 9 Pedro Martínez Cami

Right Backs

• 6 Francisco Costa
• 23 João Gomes
• 97 Rafael Vasconcelos

Staff

• Head coach:
• Assistant coach: Pedro Biscaia
• Assistant coach: Ricardo Candeias

Results in European competitions

Note: Sporting score is always listed first.

! Season! Competition! Round! Club! 1st leg! 2nd leg! Aggregate

1966–67	EHF European Cup	R1	US Ivry Handball	19–22	8–25	27–47
1967–68	EHF European Cup	R2	BM Granollers	16–26	20–16	36–42
1969–70	EHF European Cup	R1	HV Sittardia	16–24	12–15	28–39
1970–71	EHF European Cup	R2	MAI Moscovo	-	-	Win Withdrew
		QF	Dukla Prague	-	-	Win Withdrew
		SF	VfL Gummersbach	17–25	11–27	28–50
1971–72	EHF European Cup	R2	VfL Gummersbach	6–38	20–20	26–59
1972–73	EHF European Cup	R1	HCB Karviná	11–24	15–16	26–40
1973–74	EHF Challenge Cup	R1	SK Avanti Lebbeke	16–16	16–9	32–25
		R2	Cervena Hezda	14–31	15–17	29–48
1975–76	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	L16	FIF Copenhagen	14–25	22–24	36–49
1978–79	EHF European Cup	R1	Stella St-Maur	18–18	12–22	30–40
1979–80	EHF European Cup	R1	Grasshoppers Zürich	23–23	19–23	42–46
1980–81	EHF European Cup	R1	BSV Bern	12–26	21–20	33–46
1981–82	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R1	USM Gagny	25–27	22–31	47–58
1987–88	EHF Cup	R1	Hershi Gellen	18–20	22–16	40–36
		L16	Hellerup Kopenhagen	19–23	19–25	38–48
1988–89	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R1	Pfadi Winterthur	29–25	19–27	48–52
1989–90	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R1	Hapoel Rishon LeZion	24–40	23–18	47–58
1992–93	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R1	Palommano Trieste	20–32	30–20	50–52
1996–97	EHF Cup	R1	Montpellier HB	22–16	16–22	38–38
1997–98	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R1	ZTR Zaporizhzhia	31–25	23–24	54–49
		L16	HSG Dutenhofen	16–24	30–26	46–50
1998–99	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R1	HK TJ VSZ Kosice	24–22	18–24	42–46
1999–00	EHF Challenge Cup	R1	US Dunkerque HB	23–18	20–26	43–44
2000–01	EHF Cup	R2	Showbizcity Aalsmeer	31–23	30–30	61–53
		R3	SKA Minsk	31–23	18–18	49–41
		L16	CB Cantabria	29–27	30–26	59–53
		QF	Haukar Handball	21–21	32–33	53–54
2001–02	EHF Champions League	R2	Steaua București	33–24	25–25	58–49
		Group stage	Portland San Antonio	26–36	28–31	3rd place
			RK Lovćen	22–26	10–0
			Kolding IF	24–23	22–33
2003–04	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R2	HC Berchem	31–20	32–22	63–42
		R3	Portovik Yuzhny	27–25	25–21	52–46
		L16	Redbergslids IK	29–19	29–35	58–54
		QF	RK Gorenje Velenje	33–27	26–32	59–59
2004–05	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R2	Goldmann Druck Tulln	33–32	30–22	63–54
		R3	HSV Hamburg	24–28	24–25	48–53
2005–06	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R2	HC Kehra	27–33	39–19	68–53
		R3	HCM Constanta	30–32	22–28	52–60
2006–07	EHF Cup Winners' Cup	R2	SPE Strovolos Nicosia	33–20	31–24	64–44
		R3	Dinamo București	29–35	27–30	56–65
2009–10	EHF Challenge Cup Winner	L16	AO Dimou Thermaikou	39–24	34–20	73–44
		QF	CSM Bacău	30–24	23–28	53–52
		SF	RD Slovan	28–23	30–33	58–56
		F	MMTS Kwidzyn	27–25	27–26	54–51
2010–11	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	HK Polytechnik	26–21	26–30	52–51
		L16	AEK	27–23	27–32	54–55
2011–12	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	Trabzonspor	31–29	41–18	72–47
		L16	HC Zubří	23–26	25–22	48–48
		QF	CSU Suceava	33–24	30–24	63–48
		SF	Wacker Thun	31–29	26–28	57–57
2012–13	EHF Cup	R1	Ystads IF	27–22	26–37	53–59
2013–14	EHF Cup	R2	KRAS/Volendam	30–18	35–32	65–50
		R3	RK Poreč	24–24	30–25	54–49
		Group stage	Montpellier HB	27–28	31–36	2nd place
			RK Strumica	39–22	36–24
			Skjern	32–25	30–28
		QF	Pick Szeged	29–27	22–28	51–55
2014–15	EHF Cup	R2	HC Sporta Hlohovec	34–24	28–33	62–57
		R3	Fraikin BM. Granollers	27–25	23–25	50–50
2015–16	EHF Cup	R2	Team Tvis Holstebro	31–36	32–28	63–64
2016–17	EHF Challenge Cup Winner	R3	ASD Romagna Handball	32–25	37–24	69–49
		L16	RK Pelister	32–18	34–26	66–44
		QF	AC Doukas	35–23	27–25	62–48
		SF	JMS Hurry-Up	32–27	37–14	69–41
		F	AHC Potaissa Turda	37–28	30–24	67–52
2017–18	EHF Champions League	qSF	Riihimäki Cocks	31–27		31–27
		qF	Alpla HC Hard	35–34		35–34
		Group stage	Beşiktaş	30–26	34–27	4th place
			Motor Zaporizhzhia	23–31	29–32
			Metalurg Skopje	27–28	31–27
			Montpellier HB	29–33	32–33
			Chekhovskiye Medvedi	31–30	27–30
2021–22	EHF European League	Group stage	Tatabánya KC	37–23	34–26	4th place
			AEK H.C.	24–25	31–30
			Kadetten Schaffhausen	34–26	31–24
			RK Eurofarm Pelister	24–26	27–26
			USAM Nîmes Gard	32–30	27–33
		Last 16	SC Magdeburg	29–29	35–36	64–65
2022–23	EHF European League	Group stage	Alpla HC Hard	31–30	31–26	2th place
			BM Granollers	29–32	38–31
			RK Nexe Našice	31–32	28–34
			Balatonfüredi KSE	35–32	31–25
			Skjern Håndbold	30–28	28–24
		L16	CD Bidasoa	27–30	34–28	61–58
		QF	Montpellier HB	32–32	30–31	62–63

External links

• Sporting Official Website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Roseiro . Bruno . Eleições no Sporting. Sabe o que fez e o que ganhou cada presidente? . 2024-10-31 . Observador . pt-PT.
2. Web site: ANDEBOL»» Representou o Sporting e o Seixal - JORNAL DE DESPORTO . 2024-10-31 . www.jornaldedesporto.pt.
3. Web site: 2016-05-24 . Basquetebol está de regresso ao Sporting . 2024-10-31 . www.sporting.pt . pt-pt.
4. Web site: Renascença . 2017-05-12 . Pavilhão João Rocha inaugurado a 21 de Junho - Renascença . 2024-10-31 . Rádio Renascença . pt-pt.