The 2022–23 Liga 3 is second season of Portuguese football's third-tier league and the 76th season of recognised third-tier football in Portugal. Second season, a total of 24 teams compete in this division for the final time, and reduced to 20 teams for next season.
Format This competition consists of a first stage with all the teams then proceed to a promotion or relegation series depending on their performance.
First Stage
In the first stage, the 24 clubs are divided in two series (Série A and B) of 12 teams, according to geographic criteria. In each series, teams play against each other in a home-and-away double round-robin system. The four best-placed teams of the two series will advance to the promotion series and bottom 8 teams will proceed to the relegation series.
Promotion Stage
The eight qualified teams are divided in two series of 4 teams, playing against each other in a home-and-away double round-robin system. The winners of each series will be automatically promoted to Liga Portugal 2 and will face each other in a neutral venue to determine the champion. The second best placed teams will face each other in a playoff, whose winner will face the 16th placed of Liga Portugal 2 for the last spot in Liga Portugal 2. On this stage teams will be divided as follows. + Promotion Series Serie 1 Serie 2 1st A 1st B 2nd B 2nd A 3rd B 3rd A 4th A 4th B
Relegation Stage
The bottom 8 teams are divided in four series of 4 teams, playing against each other in a home-and-away double round-robin system. To account for their performance in the first stage, teams will start with bonification points, with 5th placed teams starting with 8 points and 12th placed teams starting with 1. The two bottom teams of each series will be relegated to Campeonato de Portugal for this season.
+ Relegation Series Serie 1 Serie 2 Serie 3 Serie 4 5th A 6th A 5th B 6th B 7th A 8th A 7th B 8th B 9th A 10th A 9th B 10th B 11th A 12th A 11th B 12th B
Teams A total of 24 teams contested the league, including 2 teams relegated from the 2021–22 Liga Portugal 2, 17 teams that have been in 2021–22 Liga 3 (Portugal) and 5 teams promoted from the 2021–22 Campeonato de Portugal.
Cova da Piedade failed to produce valid licensing documentation to compete in the 2022–23 season of the Liga 3, so they had been relegated by the Portuguese Football Federation to District Championships. As a result, an additional team of (2021–22 Campeonato de Portugal) will be promoted to Liga 3 for the 2022–23 season.
Stadium and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity 2021–22 finish Varzim Póvoa de Varzim Estádio do Varzim SC 7,280 17th (LP2) Académica Coimbra Estádio Cidade de Coimbra 29,622 18th (LP2) Alverca Vila Franca de Xira Complexo Desportivodo FC Alverca 7,705 2nd Promotion S1 União de Leiria Leiria Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa 23,888 2nd Promotion S2 Felgueiras 1932 Felgueiras Estádio Dr. Machadode Matos 7,540 3rd Promotion S1 Braga B Braga Complexo Desportivo de Fão 724 3rd Promotion S2 Vitória deGuimarães B Guimarães Pista de AtletismoGémeos Castro 1,200 4th Promotion S1 Vitória de Setúbal Setúbal Estádio do Bonfim 15,497 4th Promotion S2 Fafe Fafe Estádio Municipal de Fafe 4,000 1st Relegation S3 Sanjoanense São João da Madeira Estádio Conde Dias Garcia 8,500 1st Relegation S4 Amora Seixal Estádio da Medideira 1,500 1st Relegation S5 Oliveira doHospital Oliveira doHospital Estádio Municipal de Tábua 3,500 1st Relegation S6 Anadia Anadia Estádio Municipal EngºSílvio Henriques Cerveira 6,500 2nd Relegation S3 São João de Ver Santa Maria da Feira Estádio SC São João de Ver 5,000 2nd Relegation S4 Real SC Sintra Estádio do Real SC 1,200 2nd Relegation S6 Canelas 2010 Vila Nova de Gaia Estádio do CanelasGaia Futebol Clube 7,000 3rd Relegation S3 Montalegre Montalegre Estádio Dr. DiogoAlves Vaz Pereira 2,000 3rd Relegation S4 Caldas Caldas da Rainha Campo da Mata 5,700 3rd Relegation S5 Sporting B Alcochete Estádio Aurélio Pereira 1,180 3rd Relegation S6 Paredes Paredes Cidade Desportiva de Paredes 3,000 CP Champions1st CP PromotionNorth Serie Fontinhas Praia da Vitória Campo MunicipalDr. Durval Monteiro 1,000 1st CP PromotionSouth Serie Länk Vilaverdense Vila Verde Campo Cruz do Reguengo 1,000 2nd CP PromotionNorth Serie Moncarapachense Olhão Estádio Dr. AntónioJoão Eusébio 1,000 2nd CP PromotionSouth Serie Belenenses Lisbon Estádio do Restelo 19,856 3rd CP PromotionSouth Serie
First stage In the first stage, the 24 clubs will be divided in two series (Série A and B) of 12 teams, according to geographic criteria.
Série A
Série B
Second stage In the second stage, the 24 clubs were divided in 2 promotion series (Serie 1 and 2) of 4 teams and 4 relegation series (Serie 1, 2, 3 and 4) of 4 teams.
Promotion series Serie 1
Serie 2
Relegation series Serie 1
Serie 2
Serie 3
Serie 4
Third stage Third place playoff First leg
Second leg
Länk Vilaverdense advances to Promotion play-offs.
Championship final
Number of teams by district RankDistrict Football AssociationsNumber Teams1 Braga4Braga B, Fafe, Länk Vilaverdense and Vitória de Guimarães B LisbonAlverca, Belenenses, Real SC and Sporting B PortoCanelas 2010, Felgueiras 1932, Paredes and Varzim4 Aveiro3Anadia, Sanjoanense and São João de Ver5 Coimbra2Académica and Oliveira do Hospital LeiriaCaldas and União de Leiria SetúbalAmora and Vitória de Setúbal8 Angra do Heroísmo1Fontinhas FaroMoncarapachense Vila Real Montalegre
Top scorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 ZequinhaVitória de Setúbal152 EdmilsonLänk Vilaverdense12 JairUnião de Leiria Fausto LourençoAnadia4 Rui BatalhaOliveira do Hospital11 Gonçalo GregórioUnião de Leiria7 Paulo MarceloAmora10 Adilson SilvaReal SC Rui AreiasVarzim10 João CostaBelenenses9 CléBelenenses André LacximicantBraga B PatrickVitória de Guimarães B Oliveira do Hospital BruninhoMontalegre Joel SilvaSanjoanense
References