Oriental Dragon FC
{{short description|Portuguese football club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Oriental Dragon FC
| image = File:Oriental Dragon FC logo.jpg
| upright =
| fullname = Oriental Dragon Football Club
| nickname = Dragons
| founded = 2014
| dissolved = 2024
| stadium = Campo Santos Jorge
| capacity =
| chrtitle =
| chairman =
| mgrtitle = Manager
| manager =
| league =
| season =
| position =
| current =
| website =
}}
Oriental Dragon Football Club was a Portuguese association football club based in Moita, Portugal. The club was founded in 2014 with the goal of training Chinese players under Portuguese coaching.
History
In 2014, the club was founded by WSports Seven led by investor Qi Chen, who had been working with Portuguese clubs since 2006 and had arranged the transfers of Chinese players Yu Dabao and Wang Gang to top Portuguese club S.L. Benfica in 2006 and 2007.{{cite web|url=https://sjogadores.pt/?pt=news&op=OP_SHOW_DETAIL&id=7648|trans-title=Beak-Eyed Business|title=Negócios de olhos em bico|language=pt|date=March 3, 2016|work=Sindicato dos Jogadores|first=Luís|last=Aguilar}} The club was created to include Chinese players under Portuguese coaching, with the goal of them eventually returning to China and improving the quality of that country's league and national team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.francefootball.fr/news/Portugal-futebol-trade-in-china/638849|title=Portugal: futebol "trade in China"|first=Nicolas|last=Vilas|trans-title=Portugal: football "trade in China"|language=fr|date=1 March 2016|work=France Football}} The club are members of the Setúbal Football Association.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orientaldragonfc.com/historia/|title=História do Clube|trans-title=Club History|work=Oriental Dragon FC|language=pt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117065249/https://www.orientaldragonfc.com/historia/|archive-date=17 January 2022|url-status=dead}} The club initially was composed exclusively of Chinese footballers between 15 and 19 years in 2014, after creating their own U21 youth league called the Future Stars league as some of the players were too young to play in the official leagues due to being under 18 and included clubs from the Lisbon and Setúbal football associations which they funded and required each team to field at least one Chinese player.{{cite web|url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/qi-chen-o-empresario-e-pioneiro-que-mantem-a-aposta-no-futebol-nacional-5606203.html|title=Qi Chen, o empresário e pioneiro que mantém a aposta no futebol nacional|trans-title=Qi Chen, the entrepreneur and pioneer who keeps betting on national football|date=15 January 2017|first=João Paulo|last=Godinho|language=pt|work=Diário de Notícias}}{{Cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/oriental-dragon-fc/mauro-de-almeida/o-futuro-do-futebol-chines-pode-ser-made-in-portugal|title=O futuro do futebol chinês pode ser "made in Portugal"|language=pt|trans-title=The future of Chinese football can be "made in Portugal"|date=22 May 2015|work=Mais Futbol|first=Nuno|last=Travassos}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allasianfootball.com/2017/06/28/4256-2/|title=Oriental Dragons FC: the first Chinese club in Portugal|date=June 28, 2017|work=All Asian Football}} Due to Chen's connection with Benfica, he was able to have many former Benfica B coaches join the club.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sofoot.com/le-portugal-tuteur-du-football-chinois-210004.html|work=So Foot|title=Le Portugal, Tuteur du Football Chinois|date=15 October 2015|language=fr|trans-title=Portugal, Tutor of Chinese Football|first=William|last=Pereira}} They also initially began as a second team to C.D. Pinhalnovense.{{Cite web|url=https://bancada.pt/artigos/prolongamento/oriental-dragon-com-o-coracao-na-china-e-os-pes-bem-assentes-em-portugal|title=Oriental Dragon: com o coração na China e os pés bem assentes em Portugal|date=6 April 2018|language=pt|trans-title=Oriental Dragon: with its heart in China and its feet firmly established in Portugal|work=Bancada}}
The club officially began play in the Portuguese football league system during the 2015–16 season in the fifth-tier Setúbal FA Second Division, finishing eighth with nine Chinese players on the roster. In the 2017–18 season, they finished second in the division earning promotion to the Setúbal FA First Division. In 2018–19, they were the finalists in the AF Setúbal Cup. In 2019–20, they won the Setúbal FA First Division, at the time of its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 11 points ahead of the second-place club F.C. Barreirense, earning promotion to the third-tier Campeonato de Portugal at the national level.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/futebol-nacional/campeonato-de-portugal-e-primeira-meta-do-sonho-do-oriental-dragon-de-qi-chen_d1227424|trans-title=Portuguese Championship is Qi Chen's first goal of Oriental Dragon's dream|date=9 May 2020|language=pt|work=RTP|title=Campeonato de Portugal é primeira meta do sonho do Oriental Dragon de Qi Chen}} In the 2020–21 Taça de Portugal, they were defeated on penalties in the third round by second tier side Leixões.{{cite web|url=https://www.zerozero.pt/noticias/quem-e-o-oriental-dragon-o-clube-chines-a-jogar-em-portugal-/339011|title=Quem é o Oriental Dragon, o clube chinês a jogar em Portugal?|trans-title=Who is Oriental Dragon, the Chinese club playing in Portugal?|language=pt|date=October 16, 2021|work=ZeroZero|first=Francisco Paulo|last=Carvalho}} In 2021–22, they moved up to the newly created third-tier Liga 3.{{Cite web|url=https://www.zerozero.pt/news.php?id=284017|work=ZeroZero|trans-title=Changes are coming at the third level... Who will move up from the districts to the Portuguese Championship|date=5 June 2020|title=Vêm aí mudanças no terceiro escalão... Quem vai subir dos distritais para o Campeonato de Portugal?|language=pt|first=Ricardo|last=Lestre}} In the 2021–22 Taça de Portugal, they were defeated 3-2 in extra time in the third round by first tier side Moreirense, while in their league division, after finishing in last in both the division and the relegation series, they were relegated back to the Campeonato de Portugal (now the fourth tier).{{cite web|url=https://desporto.sapo.pt/futebol/liga-3/artigos/as-contas-da-ultima-jornada-da-liga-3|title=As contas da última jornada da Liga 3|trans-title=The accounts of the last matchday of Liga 3|date=29 April 2022|work=Sapo}}
Year-by-Year
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Season !Tier !League !{{tooltip|Record|Wins, draws, losses}} !Rank !Domestic Cup !AF Setúbal Taça !Ref |
| 2015–16
|rowspan=3|5 |5–2–9 (Phase 1) |8th (of 9) |– |Group Stage |
| 2016–17
|12–6–14 |11th (of 17) |– |Quarter-Finals |
| 2017–18
|9–2–5 (Phase 1) |3rd (of 9) |– |Quarter-Finals |
| 2018–19
|rowspan=2|4 |16–5–9 |6th (of 16) |– |Finalists |
| 2019–20
|14–3–1 |1st (of 16) |– |Round of 16 |
| 2020–21
|3{{refn|group=note|The Campeonato de Portugal was the third tier until 2020–21. In 2021–22, Liga 3 was created and became the new third tier, pushing the Campeonato de Portugal down to become the fourth tier (as well as all other subsequent divisions).}} |11–4–7 (Série G) |3rd (of 12) |– |
| 2021–22
|3 |2–12–8 (Série South) |12th (of 12) |– |
| 2022–23
|4 |10–6–10 (Série D) |9th (of 14) |– |
| 2023–24
|5 |12–7–10 |5th (of 16) |– |Round of 16 |
{{reflist|group=note}}