Gil Vicente Football Club

Portuguese club from the city of Barcelos, founded in 1924 and named in tribute to the Portuguese playwright Gil Vicente. It is known by the nickname 'Roosters', in reference to the famous Rooster of Barcelos, a symbol of local folklore.

History

Gil Vicente Football Club was founded on May 3, 1924 by a group of friends who used to meet in the square of the city's theatre, giving the club the name of Portuguese playwright Gil Vicente. The club's first shirts were red, and throughout its history the team used other combinations, such as green and white stripes. The club made its debut in the Portuguese First Division in the 1990-91 season, beginning a trajectory of ups and downs between the elite and lower divisions of Portuguese football. Gil Vicente's best campaigns in the First Division were two fifth-place finishes, in the 1999-2000 and 2021-22 seasons, their best results in the club's history in the main national division. Since May 30, 2004, the club has played its home matches at Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, inaugurated with a friendly match against Club Nacional de Football from Uruguay, following construction work that cost approximately 22 million euros. The club's supporters are known as 'gilistas' and Gil Vicente represents to this day the main source of pride in Barcelos municipality.