The 1996–97 Primeira Divisão was the 63rd edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 25 August 1996 with a match between Benfica and Braga, and ended on 15 June 1997. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
Porto won the league and qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League group stage, along with Sporting CP, who qualified for the second round, Boavista qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round, and Benfica, Braga and V. Guimarães qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup; in opposite, Espinho, União de Leiria and Gil Vicente were relegated to the Liga de Honra. Mário Jardel was the top scorer with 30 goals.
Promotion and relegation
Teams relegated to Liga de Honra Felgueiras Campomaiorense Tirsense Felgueiras, Campomaiorense and Tirsense, were consigned to the Liga de Honra following their final classification in 1995–96 season.
Teams promoted from Liga de Honra Rio Ave Vitória de Setúbal Espinho
The other three teams were replaced by Rio Ave, Vitória de Setúbal and Espinho from the Liga de Honra.
Teams
Stadia and locations
Team Head coach City Stadium1995–96 finish Belenenses Quinito Lisbon Estádio do Restelo 6th Benfica Paulo Autuori Lisbon Estádio da Luz 2nd Boavista Zoran Filipovic Porto Estádio do Bessa 4th Braga Manuel Cajuda Braga Estádio Primeiro de Maio 8th Chaves José Romão Chaves Estádio Municipal de Chaves 15th Espinho Zinho Espinho Estádio Comendador Manuel Violas 3rd in Divisão de Honra Estrela da Amadora Fernando Santos Amadora Estádio José Gomes 13th Farense Paco Fortes Faro Estádio de São Luís 10th Gil Vicente Bernardino Pedroto Barcelos Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo 11th Leça Rodolfo Reis Leça da Palmeira Estádio do Leça FC 14th Marítimo Marinho Peres Funchal Estádio dos Barreiros 9th Porto António Oliveira Porto Estádio das Antas 1st Rio Ave Henrique Calisto Vila do Conde Estádio dos Arcos 1st in Divisão de Honra Salgueiros Carlos Manuel Porto Estádio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro 12th Sporting Robert Waseige Lisbon Estádio José Alvalade 3rd União de Leiria Vítor Manuel Leiria Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa 7th Vitória de Guimarães Jaime Pacheco Guimarães Estádio D. Afonso Henriques 5th Vitória de Setúbal Mário Reis Setúbal Estádio do Bonfim 2nd in Divisão de Honra
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment União de Leiria Vítor Manuel 20 October 1996 17th Eurico Gomes 21 October 1996 Belenenses Quinito 27 October 1996 15th Vítor Manuel 28 October 1996 Marítimo Marinho Peres 17 November 1996 12th Manuel José 18 November 1996 Boavista Zoran Filipovic 19 November 1996 10th João Alves 20 November 1996 Gil Vicente Bernardino Pedroto 1 December 1996 17th Fernando Festas 2 December 1996 Sporting Robert Waseige 12 December 1996 3rd Octávio Machado 20 December 1996 Rio Ave Henrique Calisto 22 December 1996 18th Carlos Brito 23 December 1996 Boavista João Alves 12 January 1997 10th Mário Reis 27 January 1997 União de Leiria Eurico Gomes 19 January 1997 16th Quinito 20 January 1997 Benfica Paulo Autuori 19 January 1997 2nd Mário Wilson 20 January 1997 Marítimo Manuel José 26 January 1997 12th Rui Vieira 27 January 1997 Benfica Mário Wilson 26 January 1997 3rd Manuel José 27 January 1997 Vitória de Setúbal Mário Reis 26 January 1997 7th Mourinho Félix 27 January 1997 Marítimo Rui Vieira 16 February 1997 11th Augusto Inácio 17 February 1997 Vitória de Setúbal Mourinho Félix 10 March 1997 11th Manuel Fernandes 11 March 1997 Gil Vicente Fernando Festas 23 March 1997 18th José Marconi 24 March 1997 Espinho Zinho 11 May 1996 16th Edmundo Duarte 12 May 1996
League table
Results
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Mário Jardel Porto 30 2 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Boavista 20 3 Gaúcho Estrela da Amadora 16 4 Constantino Jardim Leça 15 Nuno Gomes Boavista 6 Karoglan Braga 14 7 Gilmar Vitória de Guimarães 13 8 Edmilson Marítimo 12 9 Edmilson Porto 11 10 Marcos Severo Salgueiros 10
Attendances
# Club Average 1 Porto 27,765 2 Benfica 18,882 3 Sporting 16,765 4 Vitória SC 9,029 5 Braga 8,588 6 Farense 6,412 7 Vitória FC 5,882 8 Boavista 5,618 9 Marítimo 4,853 10 Rio Ave 4,618 11 União de Leiria 4,235 12 Salgueiros 4,176 13 Espinho 4,088 14 Chaves 3,676 15 Os Belenenses 3,529 16 Gil Vicente 3,421 17 Leça 3,176 18 Estrela da Amadora 3,088Source:
Footnotes
External links Portugal 1996-97 - RSSSF (Jorge Miguel Teixeira) Portugal - Table of Honor - Soccer Library