Club Sport Marítimo was founded in Funchal, Madeira, in 1910.
The club is regarded as an important club in Portugal, and are widely known throughout the Portuguese speaking world, in countries such as Brazil, Angola, and Cape Verde.
Marítimo have dominated Madeira's regional football scene since its establishment but hold just one national title, the Championship of Portugal, which was won in 1926.
After a long period without being able to participate in national championships, they returned in 1973. Since then Marítimo have twice been runners-up in the Portuguese Cup, and participated eight times in the UEFA Cup/Europa League.
The club's reserve team, Marítimo B, compete in the Portuguese Second Division.
The football team's home ground is the Estádio dos Barreiros which has hosted games since 1927. Estádio dos BarreirosMainThe stadium was originally built by rival club Nacional but came into the hands of the local Government after the club fell into a financial crisis.
Although uniquely picturesque the stadium is rapidly aging, despite numerous face lifts over the years, and for the best part of a decade the club has sought after an alternative site for a new stadium.
In October 2006, it was announced that the club would construct a new state-of-the-art stadium in the Praia Formosa area of West Funchal.
However, after several delays and a political war over funding and planning, the stadium plans were put on hold indefinitely, adding to a list of set-backs that stretch well over a decade.
The fact that archrivals Nacional were allowed to construct a new stand and training facility at their Estádio da Madeira (with government backing) angered Marítimo's fans even more.
A year later, on September 14, 2007, an agreement between the club's directors and the Madeiran government (of whom own a 40% share of the club) was reached to use the site of the current Estádio dos Barreiros as the location of a brand new, reconstructed commercial stadium.
Work began on the new stadium on July 20, 2009, with the realigning of the pitch and demolition of the Bancada Nascente, reducing the current capacity to 5,000 seats.
Initial plans indicated that the stadium would be completed by 2011 but after numerous set-backs occurring, it will be finished by 2012 at the earliest.
Source: FOOTYMAD
