Sporting Clube de Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal, often known outside Portugal as Sporting Lisbon, is a sports club that is best known for having one of the best football teams in Portugal. It was established in 1902 as Sport Club de Belas, which became Campo Grande Sporting Club in 1904. It was only in 1906 that it received its current name.

Altough losing their debut match against Cruz Negra, in the first derby against Sport Lisboa (now SL Benfica) Sporting won 2-1. In 1907-08 finished second in the regional championship. In 1910, the year José Alvalade was elected president, Sporting won the portuguese tennis, pole vault, shot put and long jump championships.

Among Portuguese clubs, Sporting has the best football infrastructure. It boasts a new stadium, Estádio José Alvalade XXI, built for the 2004 European Football Championship, that will host the 2005 UEFA Cup final. Sporting also has a world-class football training facility (Academia Sporting in Alcochete ) where Portugal trained during the Euro 2004.

Sporting has developed many top footballers in recent years; some of the most notable are Paulo Futre (Retired), Luis Figo (Real Madrid CF), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC) and Aldo Duscher (Deportivo la Coruna) and also others that failed to make an impression oustide Portugal, such as former FC Barcelona players Ricardo Quaresma (who joined FC Porto in 2004) and Simão Sabrosa (joined SL Benfica in 2001). Hugo Viana, the only returning to Sporting, joined on loan from Newcastle United in 2004. The club captured 18 titles, 13 cups and won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1964, their only european win.

Sporting has numerous sections other than football, among them athletics, swimming, handball, table tennis, and Rink hockey.

Current Football Squad (2004/05 season)

This is the full squad for the 2004/2005 season.

Number	Player	Position	Previous club
Goalkeepers
1	Nélson Alexandre Gomes Pereira	GK
12	Tiago Alexandre B. Ferreira	GK
76	Ricardo A. M. Soares Pereira	GK	Boavista
Defenders
4	Anderson Correa Polga	CD
6	Hugo Miguel Fernandes Vieira	CD
15	Miguel Angelo Moita Garcia	CD/RD
21	Martinho M. Makuana "Paíto"	LD
22	Roberto Luís G. D. Severo "Beto"	CD
23	Rui Jorge Sousa D. M. Oliveira	LD
24	Mário Sérgio Leal Nogueira	RD
14	Joseph Enakarhire	CD/RD	Standard Liège
Midfielders / Wingers
37	Rogério Fidelis Régis	RW/CM	Corinthians
5	Carlos Jorge Neto Martins	DM/CM
8	Pedro Alexandre Santos Barbosa	CM/LW
11	Rodrigo Alvaro Tello Valenzuela	LM/LW
26	Fábio Rochemback	CM
27	Custódio Miguel Dias Castro	DM
45	Hugo Miguel Ferreira Viana	CM	is on loan from Newcastle United
77	Paulo César F. Nascimento Tinga	CM/DM
Forwards
9	Marius Constantin Niculae	CF
10	Ricardo Manuel Silva Sá Pinto	CF
17	Roudolphe Douala M'Bela	RF	União de Leiria
25	Paulo Sérgio Moreira Gonçalves	RF/CF	was on loan to Académica
31	Liedson da Silva Muniz	CF
20	Danny Miguel Alves Gomes	RF/CF	was on loan to Club Sport Marítimo
87	Mauricio R. Pinilla Ferreira	CF	Celta Vigo
Manager
	José Peseiro		Real Madrid as Assistant Manager