The club was built on the lines of Portuguese club Sporting CP and adopted a similar club crest.[14] The club Cidade de Goa (City of Goa) was purchased by Sporting's owner late Mr Peter Vaz and wife current President Mrs Natalina Vaz and renamed Sporting Clube de Goa in 1999.[15] Sporting Clube de Goa won its first Goa Professional League in 2006.[16][17] Since then it has clinched the title in 2014, 2016, 2018,[18]2020 and 2021.
Sporting Goa is the only club to have won the Super Cup, without winning the league or Federation Cup.
Sporting Clube de Goa, as a professional football club, came into existence in 1999,[23] when the public of Panjim decided to launch football club, after Cidade de Goa disbanded its football team. Thus, after Vasco Sports Club, Sporting became the second club of public shareholding in Goa. The club, built on the lines of Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portugal, has made rapid strides in the national circuit. Sporting shot to prominence by an impressive performance in the 2001–02 Federation Cup, the team made it to the last four after victories over stronger teams like East Bengal FC and Indian Bank Recreational Club.
In 2004–05 NFL season, they were on the verge of winning their first league championship but lost out on the last day when Dempo pipped them to the title. Their season was marred by a horrific bus accident that ruled out 4 key players for the whole season, while several others were injured. However, led by Nigerian import Dudu Omagbemi, they managed to complete their matches in a very short span of time after being given a few weeks off so that their players could recover, and heroically came second ahead of traditional powerhouses East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Salgaocar and Mahindra United.[25] Sporting entered into the finals of 2005 Federation Cup, but finished as the runner-up.[26]
In 2005, Sporting missed the Durand Cup title by a whisker when the Army XI produced an upset to win.[27][28] In the 2006 edition of Federation Cup, they reached the finals once again, but lost in penalty shoot-out to Mohun Bagan AC.[25][29][30] They achieved third place in the 2008–09 I-League.[31]
In the 2021–22 season, Sporting Goa finished as runners-up, finishing behind Dempo.[37] In August 2022, legendary Goan manager Armando Colaco was appointed as new head coach by the club on a three-year deal.[38][39]
Crest & colours
The sporting crest is supposed to be almost an exact replica of the Sporting CP, but not completely.[40] One notable difference is that on Sporting Portugal's crest it says "Sporting Portugal", while Sporting Goa's does not. Another difference is that Sporting Portugal's crest is coloured in mostly dark green and yellow, while the Sporting Goa crest is darkish green and white.[41]
While the crest of Sporting Goa is coloured in green and white, the official club colours are orange and white.[42][43] The club's nickname is "Flaming Orange".[44][45][46]
Ownership
The club was modelled on the Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal and have adopted a similar club crest. The club was founded as Cidade de Goa, was taken over by entrepreneurs Peter Vaz and Edgar Afonso. Later they renamed it as Sporting Clube de Goa in 1999.[47]
On 16 August 2013, Sporting launched their own football academy on the occasion of the 198th anniversary of founding of Don Bosco.[66] The academy for various age groups, namely U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16, U-18 and U-20, with the coaching team built around Spanish coach Javier Fernández, assisted by Norbert Gonsalves, Ashwin Crasto, Francisco Raposo and Freddy Gomes. They worked under the overall supervision and guidance of Sporting's then head coach Oscar Bruzon,[67][68] in order to implement the Sporting Clube de Goa youth development plan. Sporting Goa also renovated the football ground at Don Bosco College in Panaji with the installation of sub-surface slit drainage combined with the laying of perforated pipes.[69] The original mud topping has given way to a sand-based top layer, which encourages drainage and healthy grass growth, and provides a level and cushioned playing surface.[70] Between 2013 and 2015, Spanish coach Javier Fernández Cabrera worked as technical director, as well as assistant coach of the club, playing key role behind Sporting Goa's youth development.[71][72][73]
Sporting Clube de Goa launched its mascot named "Zumba",[77] besides its theme song "Flaming Orange", composed by one of Goa's leading bands, Sky High With Pomp.[78]
Sporting Goa formed its futsal section in later years. It went on to compete in the inaugural edition of Futsal Club Championship, top tier futsal club competition of the country.[141][142][143]
^Sporting Clube de Goa and Churchill Brothers were declared joint winners of Goa Pro League as the 13 remaining games could not be played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
^Garcia earned a Portugal national football B team cap on January 26, 2006.
^Sharda, Deepankar (12 December 2016). "Minerva FC to debut in 2017 I-League". tribuneindia.com. Chandigarh: The Tribune India News. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
^Sharma, Sukalp (31 May 2010). "Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
^Caless, Kit (19 February 2017). "クリケットの街から眺めるインドサッカー界の未来" [The future of Indian football seen from the city of cricket]. vice.com (in Japanese). Vice Japan. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
^"Sporting release Koffi". heraldgoa.in. Panjim: The Herald Goa. 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Vasco thump Sporting 3–1". navhindtimes.in. Margao: The Navahind Times. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
