Portugal. Ranked 6th. Changes were coming: next season First Division was increasing to 20 teams and instead of 3 zones of 18 teams, Second Division was going to be single league of 20 teams. Because of that, final positions had special significance, especially in the Second Division: 2 teams were relegated from top flight. 4 teams were promoted from Second Division – the winners of the Zones plus one the second-placed teams, perhaps a winner of play-offs. The make of the new Second Division was more complicated: no promotion from third level, first of all. 2 teams relegated from First Division. Then those who finished 2nd – to 7th place in every zone. However, one of the second-placed teams was going to top flight, so to make a 20-teams league a final play-off between the 8th placed teams in the zones decided the last spot in the new league. For a club to remain a second-tier team it was a must to finish no lower than 8th place this season – it was no joke: the Second Division was going to be reduced from 54 teams to 20. What follows here is a glance at the current Second Division, including the top-positioned teams going to the new reduced 1990-91 league.
Zona Norte.
Among the unfortunates going to play third level football next season Rio Ave FC was perhaps the best known – they were 10th with 31 points and out.
Leixoes SC – 8th with 35 points and going to promotion/relegation playoffs.
Varzim SC – 7th with 38 points.
SC Freamunde – 6th with 40 points.
FC Maia – 5th with 41 points.
FC Pacos de Ferreira – 4th with 42 points.
CD Aves – 3rd with 45 points.
FC Famalicao – 2nd with 47 points and going to promotion playoffs.
Gil Vicente FC – winner with 49 points from 22 wins, 5 ties, 7 losses, 51-25 goal-difference, and happily promoted to First Division.
Zona Centro
Arguably, SC Covilha was the best known among the teams going to third level – they finished 10th with 33 points.
Uniao Mirense was 8th with 35 points and going to promotion/relegation playoffs.
Benfica Castelo Branco was lucky – 7th with 35 points, besting Uniao Mirense on head-to-head record.
RD Agueda – 6th with 38 points.
Academico Viseu – 5th with 42 points.
Academica Coimbra – 4th with 43 points. Standing from left: Vítor Nóvoa, Fernando Couto, Coelho, Real, Mito e Reinaldo. À frente: China, Mota, Tomás, Tózé e Meireles.
UD Leiria – 3rd with 49 points.
SC Espinho – 2nd with 50 points and going to promotion playoffs.
SC Salguieros – champion with 51 points and promoted to top flight. 22 wins, 7 ties, 5 losses, 82-24 goal-difference.
Zona Sul
Silves FC – 11th with 32 points – was one of the unfortunate teams going to third level.
Juventude Evora – 8th with 36 points and going to promotion/relegation playoffs.
Lusitano VRSA – 7th with 41 points.
GD Estoril Praia – 6th with 42 points.
SCU Torreense – 5th with 43 points.
O Elvas CAD – 4th with 44 points.
Louletano DC – 3rd with 46 points.
FC Barreirense – 2nd with 47 points and going to promotion playoffs.
SC Farense – winner with 55 points from 25 wins, 5 ties, 4 losses, 80-23 goal-difference. Promoted back to First Division. There was more, though.
The playoffs followed the regular season.
First, the play-offs for the last spot in the new Second Division – between the 3 teams at 8th position in the zones – Juventude Evora, Uniao Mirense, and Leixoes SC. Leixoes won the games against their rivals, finished first and remained in the Second Division. The other two joined the big group clubs going to third level.
There is no available record, but the only reason for the 4th promoted to top team this year would have been playoffs between the second-best teams in the zones. FC Barreirense, SC Espinho, and FC Famalicao.
FC Famalicao was the promoted team – and good for them.
Lastly, there was the mini-tournament between the winners of the zones for the Second Division title: Farense finished last in it with 3 points, Gil Vicente – 2nd with 4 points, and Salgueiros won the title with 5 points: 2 wins, 1 tie, 1 loss, 6-3. They were the new champions of Second Division, which was mostly for pride – all zone winners were promoted to top flight already and that was more important achievement.
And that was all, in brief. Salgueiros, Gil Vicente, Farense, and Famalicao were promoted to the increased First Division – none was newcomer to top flight