| Clubname: | Länk Vilaverdense |
| Fullname: | Länk FC Vilaverdense |
| Founded: | (Vilaverdense F.C.) (as Länk FC Vilaverdense) |
| Ground: | Campo Cruz do Reguengo Vila Verde, Portugal |
| Capacity: | 1,000[1] |
| Owner: | Länk Football Group |
| Chairman: | Isidro Fernandes |
| Manager: | Sérgio Machado |
| League: | Liga 3 |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Position: | 17th, of 18 (relegated) |
| Website: | https://www.lankfcvilaverdense.com/ |
Vilaverdense F.C. (known for 4 years as Länk FC Vilaverdense)[2] is a Portuguese football club based in Vila Verde in the district of Braga.[3] They currently play in the Liga 3, the third tier of Portuguese football.
The club is affiliated to Associação de Futebol de Braga and has competed in the AF Braga Taça. The club has also entered the national cup competition known as Taça de Portugal on occasion.[3] [4]
It also competes in women's football, with a more successful team playing in the first tier, Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino,[5] using the 3,000-seat Municipal Stadium.[1]
The club was founded in 1953 as Vilaverdense F.C. and play their home matches at Campo da Cruz do Reguengo in Vila Verde. The stadium is a 1,000 spectator all-seater.[3]
In 2020, the club's name and crest was changed following an acquisition of 90% of the club's SAD (Anonymous Shareholder Sport Association) by Länk. These changes caused some controversy.
On 11 June 2023, In the 2022–23 season, following a strong season that had the team in the top half of the table for the majority of the time, they managed to jump to second place in Série A, in the promotion rounds finish in second place at Série 2 and qualified for the promotion play-off against B-SAD. They drew the first leg at home with 1–1 and won the second leg in Rio Maior with 0–1 and thus with an aggregate score of 1–2, secured promotion to the 2023–24 Liga Portugal 2 for the first time in history from next season. They were relegated after one season following a 17th finish.
In 2020, a Canadian group named Länk acquired 90% of Vilaverdense's SAD, promising to improve the club's stadium. With this they changed the club's name to Länk Vilaverdense and its badge to one in black and white, removing the green used to represent Vila Verde ("Green Town"). The team's kits, however, are still green.[6] Although the acquisition was approved by the club's associates, the changes made by Länk came under heavy fire by the club's supporters and caused controversy.[7] [8]
| Season | Level | Division | Section | Place | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – 1ª divisão B | ||
| 1991–92 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – 1ª divisão A | ||
| 1992–93 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – 1ª divisão B | ||
| 1993–94 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – 1ª divisão B | ||
| 1994–95 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | ||
| 1995–96 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | ||
| 1996–97 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | ||
| 1997–98 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | Promoted | |
| 1998–99 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 13th | |
| 1999–2000 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 8th | |
| 2000–01 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 5th | |
| 2001–02 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 6th | |
| 2002–03 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 5th | |
| 2003–04 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 2nd | Promoted |
| 2004–05 | Tier 3 | Segunda Divisão | Série Norte | 6th | |
| 2005–06 | Tier 3 | Segunda Divisão | Série Norte | 13th | Relegated |
| 2006–07 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A | 14th | Relegated |
| 2007–08 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | 1st | Promoted |
| 2008–09 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A – 1ª Fase | 12th | Relegation Group |
| Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A – Sub-Série A2 | 3rd | Relegated | |
| 2009–10 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | 9th | |
| 2010–11 | Tier 5 | Distritais | AF Braga – Honra | 1st | Promoted |
| 2011–12 | Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A – 1ª Fase | 5th | Promotion Group |
| Tier 4 | Terceira Divisão | Série A Fase Final | 2nd | Promoted | |
| 2012–13 | Tier 3 | Segunda Divisão | Série Norte | 13th | |
| 2013–14 | Tier 3 | Campeonato Nacional | Série A | 3rd | |
| As Länk Vilaverdense | |||||
| Season | Level | Division | Section | Place | Movements |
| 2021–22 | Tier 4 | Campeonato de Portugal | Série A – 1st stage | 1st | Promotion Group |
| North zone – 2nd stage | 2nd | Promoted to Liga 3 | |||
| 2022–23 | Tier 3 | Liga 3 | Série A – 1st stage | 2nd | 2nd stage |
| Série 2 – 2nd stage | 2nd | 3rd stage | |||
| 3rd stage | 3rd | Promotion play-off and promoted to Liga Portugal 2 via play-off | |||
| 2023–24 | Tier 2 | Liga Portugal 2 | |||