CD Tondela

CD Tondela is a Portuguese club based in Tondela, a small town in Portugal's Central region. Founded in 1933, this provincial club achieved remarkable ascension to reach Portuguese football elite in the 2010s, defying expectations and establishing themselves among the country's best teams.

Playing at Estádio João Cardoso, an intimate stadium of approximately 5,000 capacity, the Auriverdes (yellow and green) embody grassroots football facing Lisbon and Porto giants. The club bears the name of João Cardoso, a local figure in Tondela football history who contributed significantly to the club's development.

Tondela achieved the feat of maintaining themselves several seasons in Primeira Liga, competing with clubs possessing far superior budgets. This remarkable performance made Tondela an example of intelligent management and rigorous tactical organization, demonstrating that smaller clubs can compete at the highest level with proper planning.

Despite recent relegation, CD Tondela retains ambitions to return to the elite and continue writing the story of this small provincial club that managed to defy Portuguese football's behemoths, proving that size doesn't determine success in the beautiful game.