Why Torreense Is Playing in the Europa League Even Though They’re in Portugal’s Second Division
Let’s talk about Torreense, the Portuguese second-division team who are surprising everyone in this season’s Europa League.
Joao Nuno’s squad was expected to finish last in their group, but after winning two of their first four games, they’re now ahead of big clubs like AC Milan, Real Sociedad, Crystal Palace, and Marseille.
One of those wins came just this Thursday, when two last-minute goals from Javi Vazquez and Musa Drammeh helped them snatch a thrilling 3-2 victory over Ararat-Armenia at the Estadio Municipal de Leiria.
So, how did Torreense get here? Well, they qualified for the Europa League by winning the Portuguese Cup (Taça de Portugal) in May, which was a huge surprise. The team from Torres Vedras pulled off one of the biggest upsets by beating Sporting CP 2-1 in the final, with goals from Kevin Zohi and Stopira.
Thanks to that win, Torreense became the first second-division team to claim the Portuguese Cup and earned a spot in the Europa League group stage, no matter how they did in the league.
That’s good news for them because they didn’t get promoted to the top division last season, losing their playoff against Casa Pia. Right now, they’re 12th in the Liga Pro after nine matches, making their strong start in Europe even more impressive.
While they won their European home game at the 23,888-seat Estadio Municipal de Leiria, their real home stadium is the smaller Estadio Manuel Marques, which holds 2,500 and doesn’t meet UEFA standards. So, for Europa League games, they have to play around 60 miles away from their usual home.
Next up, Torreense will face Celtic from the Scottish Premiership on November 26. After their recent win, coach Joao Nuno shared his thoughts:
“That was an unforgettable night for everyone at Torreense, for the whole club,” he said. “This win was very important for our fans. Everyone feels connected to what we’re trying to do. It was a fantastic victory, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start as a manager.”
He added, “Celtic are next at home, and we’ll fight hard to get points and try to win. Let’s keep dreaming because we’ve already done amazing things in Europe this season.”