União Desportiva de Leiria, commonly known as União de Leiria (pronounced[uniˈɐ̃wdɨlɐjˈɾiɐ]), is a Portuguese professional football club based in Leiria. Founded on 6 June 1966, it currently plays in the Liga Portugal 2, holding home matches at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, with a 23,888-seat capacity.
On 23 August 2004, União de Leiria reached the UEFA Intertoto Cup final with Lille. After getting a 0–0 draw in France in the first leg, the whole city thought it would be possible for the club to win a European competition. However, in the second leg, after another 0–0 draw at their home stadium, the team would lose the game in extra time by 0–2, mostly due to the excessive fatigue. For the history, it was the first Portuguese team to reach the final of this competition.
The 2011–12 season was lived amongst serious financial difficulties, with the squad not being paid their wages for several months,[1][2] as three coaching moves also happened during the campaign[3][4] and president João Bartolomeu resigned amongst accusations of ingratitude towards the players.[5] On 29 April 2012, after most of the squad rescinded their contracts, only eight players took the pitch for the league match at home against Feirense in an eventual 0–4 home loss.[6][7] The side played the last two matches, against Benfica and Nacional, with a complete team, but three players came from the juniors.[8][9]
After failing to meet the deadline to register the team in Division Two, Leiria were automatically relegated to the third level.[10] Overwhelmed with the task of rebuilding a squad from scratch, the organization hired several players in an attempt to return to the professionals,[11][12][13] as a second senior team also begun competing in the Leiria regional leagues, coached by former club player Luís Bilro.[14]
On 28 June 2013, the UD Leiria SAD was declared bankrupt in a meeting of creditors, which demanded the payment of a debt amounting to €13.5 million, with the Portuguese state abstaining for demanding a debt of over €3.6 million.[15] The second senior team that competed in the regional league took the place of the SAD by buying their sports rights for €1,000, with the club returning to the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa after playing their home matches at other grounds for two seasons.[16][17]
In February 2015, at an extraordinary general assembly, UD Leiria would vote for the creation of another SAD, opening doors to the arrival of Alexander Tolstikov, who after João Bartolomeu would become the new "Lord" of Leiria. The club would have already had a SAD between 1999 and 2013, having been extinguished in the face of its high debt value. The SAD's initial share capital is 40% owned by UD Leiria and 60% owned by DS Investment LLP, of which Alexander Tolstikov is one of those responsible. Thus, DS Investment started to control the main football team and also the junior team.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No.
Pos.
Nation
Player
League and cup history
Season
I
II
III
IV
V
Pts
MP
W
D
L
GF
GA
+/-
Taça de Portugal
2023-2024
12
42 pts
34
11
9
14
44
40
+4
1/4 final
2022-2023
1
62 pts
28
20
2
6
57
26
+31
1/64 final
2021-2022
4
58 pts
28
17
7
4
47
23
+24
1/32 final
2020-2021
4
54 pts
27
16
6
5
41
19
+22
1/16 final
2019-2020
12
29 pts
25
6
11
8
27
24
+3
1/64 final
2018-2019
3
75 pts
34
24
3
7
59
24
+35
1/64 final
2017-2018
3
73 pts
30
23
4
3
68
21
+47
1/16 final
2016-2017
3
71 pts
32
22
5
5
56
19
+37
1/32 final
2015-2016
5
64 pts
32
18
10
4
52
21
+31
1/64 final
2014-2015
3
55 pts
30
16
7
7
57
35
+22
1/64 final
2013-2014
3
59 pts
32
17
8
7
43
33
+10
1/32 final
2012-2013
7
46 pts
30
13
7
10
36
31
+5
1/16 final
2011-2012
16
19 pts
30
5
4
21
25
56
-31
1/32 final
2010-2011
10
35 pts
30
9
8
13
25
38
-13
1/32 final
2009-2010
10
35 pts
30
9
8
13
35
41
-6
1/16 final
2008-2009
2
54 pts
30
15
9
6
46
29
+17
1/32 final
2007-2008
16
16 pts
30
3
7
20
25
53
-28
1/16 final
2006-2007
7
41 pts
30
10
11
9
24
26
-2
1/16 final
2005-2006
7
47 pts
34
13
8
13
44
42
+2
1/32 final
2004-2005
15
38 pts
34
8
14
12
29
36
-7
1/16 final
2003-2004
10
45 pts
34
11
12
11
43
45
-2
1/8 final
2002-2003
5
49 pts
34
13
10
11
49
47
+2
Final
2001-2002
7
55 pts
34
15
10
9
52
35
+17
1/32 final
2000-2001
5
56 pts
34
15
11
8
46
41
+5
1/16 final
1999-2000
10
42 pts
34
10
12
12
31
35
-4
1/16 final
1998-1999
6
52 pts
34
14
10
10
36
29
+7
1/8 final
1997-1998
1
70 pts
34
20
10
4
73
32
+41
1/2 final
1996-1997
17
30 pts
34
8
6
20
25
53
-28
1/32 final
1995-1996
7
47 pts
34
13
5
15
38
50
-12
1/2 final
1994-1995
6
36 pts
34
13
10
11
41
44
-3
1/16 final
1993-1994
2
45 pts
34
19
7
8
46
19
+27
1/32 final
1992-1993
8
34 pts
34
13
8
13
36
37
-1
1/16 final
1991-1992
8
35 pts
34
13
9
12
34
32
+2
1/32 final
1990-1991
9
41 pts
38
14
13
11
45
35
+10
1/32 final
1989-1990
3
49 pts
34
20
9
5
61
18
+43
1/32 final
1988-1989
10
31 pts
34
9
13
12
42
44
-2
1/64 final
1987-1988
4
47 pts
38
18
11
9
64
43
+21
1/8 final
1986-1987
12
27 pts
30
10
7
13
28
39
-11
1/64 final
1985-1986
9
28 pts
30
10
8
12
33
49
-16
1/64 final
1984-1985
2
41 pts
30
17
7
6
42
27
+25
1/64 final
1983-1984
9
28 pts
30
10
8
12
35
25
+10
1/64 final
1982-1983
3
44 pts
30
17
10
3
44
17
+27
1/64 final
1981-1982
16
20 pts
30
8
4
18
25
50
-25
1/16 final
1980-1981
1
45 pts
30
19
7
4
56
21
+35
1/8 final
1979-1980
13
21 pts
30
6
9
15
26
49
-23
1/32 final
1978-1979
1
46 pts
30
20
6
4
56
20
+36
1/64 final
1977-1978
8
30 pts
30
11
8
11
34
42
-8
1/16 final
1976-1977
11
28 pts
30
10
8
12
26
31
-5
1/64 final
1975-1976
16
34 pts
38
11
12
15
42
52
-10
1/16 final
1974-1975
13
34 pts
38
12
10
16
50
56
-6
1/128 final
1973-1974
7
41 pts
38
16
9
13
52
49
+3
1/64 final
1972-1973
5
39 pts
30
17
5
8
50
27
+23
1/32 final
1971-1972
3
35 pts
30
14
7
9
50
29
+21
1/16 final
1970-1971
3
30 pts
26
11
8
7
40
34
+6
1/64 final
1969-1970
1
48 pts
30
20
8
2
70
16
+54
1/128 final
1968-1969
2
31 pts
22
15
1
6
54
20
+34
1/32 final
1967-1968
2
12 pts
10
5
2
3
15
9
+6
-
1966-1967
1
16 pts
10
7
2
1
21
9
+12
-
I - 1.ª Liga; II - 2.ª Liga; III - Campeonato Nacional de Séniores/Liga 3; IV - AF Leiria - Divisão de Honra/Campeonato Nacional de Séniores; V - AF Leiria 1ª Divisão/AF Leiria - Divisão de Honra;
Due to an excessive rent, Leiria relocated to the Estádio Municipal in the nearby town of Marinha Grande, for 2011–12. For the following season, the club moved to Campo da Portela in Santa Catarina da Serra, home of U.D. Serra.[20]