The 2016–17 LigaPro (also known as Ledman LigaPro for sponsorship reasons) was the 27th season of Portuguese football's second-tier league, and the third season under the current LigaPro title. A total of 22 teams competed in this division, including reserve sides from top-flight Primeira Liga teams.
Porto B were the defending champions, after winning their first title in the competition in the previous season.
Teams A total of 22 teams contest the league, including 17 sides from the 2015–16 season, two teams relegated from the 2015–16 Primeira Liga (União da Madeira and Académica) and three promoted from the 2015–16 Campeonato de Portugal (Cova da Piedade, Vizela and Fafe).
Other team changes compared to the previous season included the promotion of Chaves and Feirense to the 2016–17 Primeira Liga, and the relegation of Farense, Mafra, Atlético CP, Oriental and Oliveirense to the 2016–17 Campeonato de Portugal.
On 15 March 2016, the LPFP announced that four teams (instead of three) will be relegated to the 2017–18 Campeonato de Portugal, and two teams (instead of three) will be promoted directly from the Campeonato de Portugal to reduce the number of LigaPro teams to 20 for the 2017–18 season. There will be also a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off involving the 17th- and 18th-placed teams of 2016–17 LigaPro and both second-placed teams of the Campeonato de Portugal promotion groups (North and South).
Team changes
Promoted from 2015–16 Campeonato de Portugal Cova da Piedade (Champions, South zone promotion group winner) Vizela (Runners-up, North zone promotion group winner) Fafe (Promotion play-off winner)
Relegated from 2015–16 Primeira Liga União da Madeira Académica
Promoted to 2016–17 Primeira Liga Chaves Feirense
Relegated to 2016–17 Campeonato de Portugal Farense Mafra Atlético CP Oriental Oliveirense
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity2015–16 finish Académica Coimbra Estádio Cidade de Coimbra 29,622 18th (PL) Académico de Viseu Viseu Estádio do Fontelo 7,744 17th Benfica B Lisbon Caixa Futebol Campus 2,720 19th Braga B Braga Estádio 1º de Maio 28,000 15th Cova da Piedade Cova da Piedade Estádio Municipal José Martins Vieira 3,000 1st (CP) Desportivo das Aves Vila das Aves Estádio do CD Aves 5,441 8th Fafe Fafe Estádio Municipal de Fafe 8,000 3rd (CP) Famalicão Vila Nova de Famalicão Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho 5,300 6th Freamunde Freamunde Complexo Desportivo do SC Freamunde 3,919 5th Gil Vicente Barcelos Estádio Cidade de Barcelos 12,046 11th Leixões Matosinhos Estádio do Mar 9,766 18th Olhanense Olhão Estádio José Arcanjo 5,661 7th Penafiel Penafiel Estádio Municipal 25 de Abril 5,320 12th Portimonense Portimão Estádio Municipal de Portimão 5,950 4th Porto B Porto Estádio Municipal Jorge Sampaio 8,270 1st Santa Clara Ponta Delgada Estádio de São Miguel 13,277 16th Sporting CP B Lisbon CGD Stadium Aurélio Pereira 1,180 10th Sporting da Covilhã Covilhã Estádio Municipal José dos Santos Pinto 2,055 14th União da Madeira Funchal Centro Desportivo da Madeira 2,300 17th (PL) Varzim Póvoa de Varzim Estádio do Varzim SC 7,280 9th Vitória de Guimarães B Guimarães Estádio D. Afonso Henriques 30,000 13th Vizela Vizela Estádio do FC Vizela 6,000 2nd (CP)
Personnel and sponsors Team Head coach Kit manufacturer Sponsors Académica Costinha Nike EFAPEL Académico de Viseu Francisco Chaló Macron Palácio do Gelo Benfica B Hélder Cristóvão Adidas Emirates Braga B João Aroso Lacatoni Cova da Piedade João Barbosa Adidas Servintegra Desportivo das Aves José Mota Nike WoWalBo Fafe Manuel Monteiro Gsports Faftir Famalicão Dito Lacatoni Amob Freamunde Daniel Barbosa Adidas LGSP Sports Gil Vicente Álvaro Magalhães Macron Barcelos / Crédito Agrícola Leixões Daniel Kenedy Adidas Mar à Mesa Olhanense Bruno Saraiva Macron OLX Penafiel Paulo Alves Macron Restradas Portimonense Vítor Oliveira Mizuno McDonald's Portimão Porto B António Folha New Balance Santa Clara Carlos Pinto Nike Açoreana Seguros Sporting CP B Luís Martins Macron Sporting da Covilhã Filipe Gouveia Lacatoni Natura / MB Hotels União da Madeira Jorge Casquilha Lacatoni Museu CR7 Varzim João Eusébio Stadio Carnes São José Vitória de Guimarães B Vítor Campelos Macron Banco BIC Vizela Carlos Cunha CDT Vizelpas
Coaching changes TeamOutgoing head coachManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming head coachDate of appointment Gil Vicente Nandinho Mutual consent 14 May 2016 Pre-season Álvaro Magalhães 18 May 2016 Desportivo das Aves Ulisses Morais Sacked 17 May 2016 Ivo Vieira 27 May 2016 União da Madeira Luís Norton de Matos Contract expired 17 May 2016 Filó 21 June 2016 Sporting da Covilhã Francisco Chaló Mutual consent 18 May 2016 Filipe Gouveia 2 June 2016 Famalicão Daniel Ramos Resigned 18 May 2016 Ulisses Morais 27 May 2016 Varzim Capucho Signed by Rio Ave 21 May 2016 Armando Evangelista 25 May 2016 Santa Clara Carlos Pinto Signed by Paços de Ferreira 24 May 2016 Daniel Ramos 3 June 2016 Académico de Viseu Jorge Casquilha Contract expired 31 May 2016 André David 31 May 2016 Académica Filipe Gouveia Costinha 20 June 2016 Leixões Pedro Miguel Filipe Coelho 22 June 2016 Portimonense José Augusto Promoted to manager 26 June 2016 Vítor Oliveira 29 June 2016 Santa Clara Daniel Ramos Signed by Marítimo 21 September 2016 2nd Hugo Relvas (caretaker) 21 September 2016 Santa Clara Hugo Relvas (caretaker) Ended caretaking role 26 September 2016 2nd Quim Machado 26 September 2016 Santa Clara Quim Machado Resigned 3 October 2016 2nd Rui Amorim 5 October 2016 Famalicão Ulisses Morais Resigned 11 October 2016 18th Rui Silva (caretaker) 12 October 2016 Varzim Armando Evangelista Mutual consent 13 October 2016 13th João Eusébio 13 October 2016(as caretaker)31 October 2016(confirmed) Famalicão Rui Silva (caretaker) Ended caretaking role 17 October 2016 18th Nandinho 17 October 2016 Freamunde Carlos Brito Mutual consent 25 October 2016 21st Ricardo Chéu 27 October 2016 Olhanense Cristiano Bacci Mutual consent 27 October 2016 22nd Bruno Baltazar 28 October 2016 Leixões Filipe Coelho Mutual consent 2 November 2016 20th Daniel Kenedy 2 November 2016 Porto B Luís Castro Signed by Rio Ave 12 November 2016 10th José Tavares 14 November 2016 Académico de Viseu André David Mutual consent 29 November 2016 19th Octávio Moreira (caretaker) 29 November 2016 Académico de Viseu Octávio Moreira (caretaker) Ended caretaking role 5 December 2016 19th Francisco Chaló 5 December 2016 Santa Clara Rui Amorim Sacked 5 December 2016 4th Carlos Pinto 6 December 2016 Fafe Agostinho Bento Mutual consent 12 December 2016 18th Tonau 15 December 2016 Vizela Ricardo Soares Signed by Chaves 18 December 2016 8th Bruno Pinto (caretaker) 19 December 2016 União da Madeira Filó Sacked 22 December 2016 17th José Viterbo (caretaker) 22 December 2016 Vizela Bruno Pinto (caretaker) Ended caretaking role 26 December 2016 11th Rui Quinta 26 December 2016 Porto B José Tavares Moved to a different department 29 December 2016 15th António Folha 29 December 2016 União da Madeira José Viterbo (caretaker) Ended caretaking role 9 January 2017 14th Jorge Casquilha 9 January 2017 Olhanense Bruno Baltazar Resigned 7 February 2017 22nd Bruno Saraiva 7 February 2017 Cova da Piedade Sérgio Boris Sacked 12 February 2017 13th João Barbosa 12 February 2017 Desportivo das Aves Ivo Vieira Sacked 15 February 2017 2nd José Mota 18 February 2017 Sporting CP B João de Deus Mutual consent 17 February 2017 12th Luís Martins 17 February 2017 Vizela Rui Quinta Sacked 13 March 2017 19th Carlos Cunha 14 March 2017 Freamunde Ricardo Chéu Resigned 1 April 2017 21st Daniel Barbosa 5 April 2017 Famalicão Nandinho Resigned 2 April 2017 17th Dito 5 April 2017 Fafe Tonau Mutual consent 10 April 2017 20th Manuel Monteiro 11 April 2017 Braga B Abel Ferreira Moved to the main Braga squad 24 April 2017 5th João Aroso 2 May 2017
Season summary
League table
Positions by round
Results
Relegation play-offs
Statistics
Top scorers
Rank Player Team Goals 1 Jorge PiresPortimonense 15 2 Luís BarryDesportivo das Aves 93 Rui CostaVarzim8 Paulo ClementeSanta Clara Alan JúniorFafe6 XadasBraga B7 Evandro BrandãoFafe Tyler BoydVitória de Guimarães B Diego MedeirosFamalicão PaulinhoPortimonense
Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthClubYoung Player of the MonthClub August Diogo GonçalvesBenfica B September October November December January February March April
Attendances
References