ATLÉTICO: Before Kick-Off: Atlético Clube de Portugal

Words: João Tibério

Images: João Tibério

There is no greater pleasure than attending a Sunday afternoon game, with the sun casting a warm embrace over a football pitch.

This feeling is even more profound when it involves a club like Atlético Clube de Portugal - a team with a history so rich that they still have old newspaper clippings, as if holding onto golden memories.

Atlético Clube de Portugal was born on September 18, 1942, from the football merger of União Foot-ball Club and Carcavelinhos Football Club - a team that truly marked an era in national football, even winning a Campeonato de Portugal (a similar format to the Portuguese Cup).

Atlético's story crosses with the rough streets of the Alcântara neighborhood, once an industrial area transformed into a gentrified haven.

Estádio da Tapadinha is a place where history plays a thrilling game with the riverside mood and nostalgic memories, ensuring that no one forgets the past: A first division club for many years (24 appearances until 1976/77 but who never returned after) and away days to Tapadinha were feared.

In the memory of all Alcântara residents and Atlético fans, one name stands out: Germano de Figueiredo. A goal-scoring defender who made the streets of Alcântara his stage and was transferred to Sport Lisboa e Benfica in time to become European champion.

He became a local legend, leaving behind tales that even the graffiti-covered walls can't hide.

Being an Atlético fan nowadays is like riding a rollercoaster - full of challenges, triumphs, and that occasional loop-the-loop. Never forget that time club dropped into the Lisbon district championship in 2017.

Below that, only hell - a place reserved for football tragedies and referees who forgot their glasses.

Now, the sun has returned to Alcântara, and a sustainable path is being forged, casting its blue and yellow glow on the streets around the Tapadinha stadium.

Portugal doesn't have a Boxing Day or any match at all before the first of weekend of the year, so let’s fast forward to January 7, when Atlético played Futebol Clube de Alverca - another former first division club that has been crossing a long desert.

Tapadinha is alive, and Atlético takes advantage of playing at a decent time - a trend that has been disappearing in the top divisions. Around the stadium, a kaleidoscope of children, elderly and other sports enthusiasts converge.

©João Tibério/ Terrace Edition. Atlético Clube de Portugal.

It's like a reunion of long-lost friends, where the football field is the backdrop to countless shared memories. The conversations flow freely and are interrupted only by the shouts of the vendors, who, much like stand-up comedians, try to sell their club merch with flair.

The essence of football will always be in these moments, sometimes as amusing as a goalkeeper's failed attempt at a somersault.

The attendance is around 900 fans. It's not much (the stadium has a capacity of 3000, 10,000 if half of it hadn't been closed for safety reasons). It still remains one of the top three attendances of the season .

Atlético dominated the field, half-time revealing a 3-0 lead and a dash of delightful confusion.

Meanwhile, the bar, despite official sobriety rules, maintained its rebellious charm, as if refusing to conform to the mundane.

This bar will always be a time capsule, taking us back to an era that was different and didn't spare any wrinkles, much like an aging but charming football veteran. If these walls could talk, they'd probably share alcoholic and amusing tales of older fans.

The second half unfolded, a poetic dance of disjointed chants and fears of the dreaded Abominable Snowman (yes, the Portuguese fear the cold more than mythical creatures).

The way back to the top will always pass through here: communion between players and fans in creating a close-knit community that no defeat can destroy.

In the grand finale, it all boils down to this: fans, the ball, and the green carpet—the poetry of football, an eternal dance that spins tales, amazing goals, and leaves indelible imprints on the heart.

You can find João on X: @joaotiberio and Instagram: @jtiberio

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