DEBUTANT AND BOLD
After gaining access, the club will represent the Far South in the elite
Published on January 10, 2025 at 02:00
Porto is the main novelty of the 2025 Bahia Championship Credit: Disclosure/Porto
In 2025, the Campeonato Baiano will have a debutant. For the first time in history, Porto will play in the elite of state football. With roots in the extreme south of the state, the youngest from Baianão wants to show that he is here to stay.
Among the ten clubs that will compete in the Campeonato Baiano, Porto is by far the youngest team. Founded in Porto Seguro, the association left amateurism last year and, even before entering the “professional era” it was making history.
In 2023, the team was runner-up in the Intermunicipal, which encouraged the idea of migrating to professional football once and for all. In the first year, they defeated the traditional Fluminense de Feira in the semifinals of Series B in Baiano, and only stopped at Colo-Colo, who took the title.
The runner-up, however, guaranteed the club access to the elite, breaking a 27-year absence of teams from the extreme south in the first division. The last one was Eunápolis, in 1998.
With the support of businesspeople from Porto Seguro, Porto follows the model of Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF), and has an ambitious project. The idea is not just to stay in the first division, but to reach places in competitions such as the Copa do Brasil and Série D of the Brasileirão.
To achieve this, the focus is on maintaining the work. Access commander, coach Sandro Duarte renewed his contract and continues to direct the team. As a player, Sandro had a career at Cruzeiro, a club he played for for five years and where he won the treble (Campeonato Mineiro, Copa do Brasil and Brasileirão, in 2003).
The base of the squad that gained access was also maintained, as at least 14 players had their contracts renewed.
Another player to keep an eye on is striker Luan Rodrigues. In 2024, he was one of Baiano’s top scorers, with four goals in 12 matches.
In its debut in the Campeonato Baiano, Porto will play its games at the Agnaldo Bento dos Santos stadium, known as Gigante da Feirinha. The place was renovated in 2014 and hosted the Swiss national team, who chose Porto Seguro as their home.
The stadium has a capacity for 5,000 people, and last year it was a kind of fortress for the team. During Series B, the team lost only one match at home, to Colo-Colo, in the first game of the final.
By the way, Porto’s debut in the 2025 Bahia Championship will be at home, tomorrow, at 9pm, against Jacobina.
