Casa Pia

Casa Pia AC – Club History

Casa Pia Atlético Clube was founded in 1920 in Belém, Lisbon, originally as the sports section of the Casa Pia de Lisboa – a charitable institution caring for orphans and disadvantaged youth founded in 1780. The club carries this remarkable social heritage and embodies one of football's most unusual founding stories, as an institution dedicated to youth welfare transformed into a football club that eventually reached Portugal's top flight. Playing in blue and black, Casa Pia earned promotion to the Primeira Liga in 2022 for the first time in 51 years, generating enormous celebration.

Casa Pia's return to the Primeira Liga in 2022 was one of Portuguese football's most heartwarming stories, with a club deeply rooted in social welfare history returning to elite competition after more than five decades away. Under coach Filipe Martins, the club performed outstandingly in their debut season and finished fifth – an extraordinary result that qualified them for the UEFA Europa Conference League, making Casa Pia one of the most celebrated overachieving clubs in European football in 2023.

Key Milestones

1920 – Club founded as sports section of Casa Pia social institution. 1971 – Relegated from Primeira Liga; 51-year absence begins. 2022 – Promoted to Primeira Liga; extraordinary return. 2023 – Fifth-place Primeira Liga finish; best-ever result. 2023 – UEFA Europa Conference League qualification. 2023 – Conference League group stage debut.