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Sport Lisboa e Benfica; commonly referred
to as simply Benfica, S.L. Benfica and in many fan anthems as
SLB, is an eclectic multisports club based in Lisbon, Portugal,
best known for its football team. Benfica was founded in 1904
by a group of men led by Cosme Damião and the club's
main stadium is the Estádio da Luz.
They
were founding members of Portuguese Liga in 1933, and, together
with FC Porto and Sporting CP, they have never been relegated
from the Primeira Divisão.
Benfica is the most successful club in Portugal with a total
of 31 Portuguese Liga, 27 Portuguese Cup, 4 SuperCup Cândido
de Oliveira, and 2 UEFA Champions League. SL Benfica has also
participated in a total of seven European Champion's League
finals and one UEFA Cup final. Having played eight European
competitions finals (2 wins, six defeats), it played more finals
than any other Portuguese club.
As
a club oriented to multiple sports, Benfica fields teams in
athletics, basketball, cycling, futsal, handball, rink hockey,
rugby, volleyball, and others. In total, Benfica has won several
international titles in these sports.
SL
Benfica has the biggest fan base among Portuguese clubs, having
also the largest number of supporters outside of Portugal for
a Portuguese club, with a total of 14 million Benfica's supporters
worldwide.It is also the biggest club in the world in number
of associates (registered paying supporters), with a current
(November 2006) number of 160,398, a fact which was attested
by the Guinness Book of Records on November 10, 2006.
Symbols
The emblem is composed of an eagle, a shield in the club colours
of red and white, and the acronym SLB for "Sport Lisboa
e Benfica" over a football, all superimposed over a bicycle
wheel, which was taken from the Grupo Sport Benfica emblem.
The club motto is E Pluribus Unum, "Out of many, one".
Before
every home match, an actual eagle named Vitória flies
from one side of the Estádio da Luz to the other.
It,
is said to be the only club in the world whose official anthem
is sung by a tenor, Luís Piçarra, and the classic
musician Antonio Vitorino d'Almeida has written a symphony to
commemorate the club's first 100 years.
History
Early years (1904-1960)
On February 28, 1904, a reunion took place in Rua de Belém
with the goal to form a new football club, that would be called
Grupo Sport Lisboa. There were 24 people in that reunion including
the co-founder and the soul of the club, Cosme Damião.
José Rosa Rodrigues was also appointed the first president.
In
1908 there was a merge between Grupo Sport Lisboa and Grupo
Sport Benfica.
Benfica,
as almost all clubs in Portugal, was founded in the beginning
of the 20th century, but the national competitions only began
in the 20's.
After
losing the first national championship to FCPorto in 34/35,
Benfica won the next three championships in a row (35/36, 36/37
and 37/38). However, in the 40's Benfica faced a strong opposition
of Sporting Lisbon for the internal domination.
But
in 1950, the first big moment of Benfica History. Defeating
Girondins de Bordeaux in the final, Benfica won the Latin Cup,
becoming the first and only portuguese club to win the competition.
In
1954 Benfica inaugurated his first own stadium, the Estádio
da Luz. Also in this year, Benfica conquered the Portuguese
Cup for the fourth time in a row, an unbroken record until now.
In
the remaining years of the decade, Benfica won 3 championships
and 2 Portuguese Cups, but more important than that, the club
created the foundations to entry in the 60's with one of the
best teams in Europe.
The Golden Era (1960-1970)
Benfica was the first team to break Real Madrid's dominance
in the early European Champions' Cup. Having won two European
Cups in a row against FC Barcelona (1961) and Real Madrid (1962).
During
this decade Benfica would reach another 3 European Champions'
Cup finals, but the Lisbon club never managed to win a European
trophy again. Having lost against A.C. Milan (1963), Internazionale
(1965) and Manchester United (1968).
In
1968, Benfica was considered the best European team by France
Football despite its defeat in the Champions Cup. Many of its
successes in the 1960s were achieved with all-time football
great Eusébio playing for the Lisbon side. In fact, the
60's were the best period of Benfica history, in which the club
won an astonishing 8 Championships (1960, 61, 63, 64, 65, 67,
68 and 69), 3 Portuguese Cups (1961, 64 and 69) and 2 European
Champions Cup (1961 and 62).
Titles After Titles (1970-1994)
During the 1970s, the team faded slightly from the European
scene, but remained the main force inside Portuguese football,
winning 6 championships (1971, 72, 73, 75, 76 and 77) and 2
Portuguese cups (1970 and 72). Jimmy Hagan led the club to three
successive Portuguese championships, and once to the national
cup between 1970 and 1973. Benfica also attracted Europe-wide
attention when the team reached the semi-finals of the European
Cup of Champions, where the team was only narrowly defeated
0-1 on aggregate by the legendary Ajax of that era.
In
1972-73 Benfica became the only ever club in Portugal to last
a whole season without defeat and won 28 matches - 23 consecutively
- out of 30, and drew two. In that year Eusébio also
became Europe's top scorer with 40 goals, in what was his penultimate
season as a Benfica player. The team scored 101 goals, breaking
100 only for the second time in their history.
The
club had some problems in the late 70s, early 80s, but managed
to stand up to its standards again, this time under the guidance
of Sven-Göran Eriksson. In 2 years (1983 and 1984) the
club won 2 championships, 1 Portuguese cup and reached the final
of the UEFA Cup in 1983 against Anderlecht.
In
1985 the board decided to close the third level in the Estádio
da Luz, which transformed the stadium into one of the biggest
in Europe, with a standing room capacity of 120.000 and in 1987
Benfica won another double (championship+Portuguese cup), an
achievement done for the ninth time in their history.
During
the period from 1988-94 Benfica made a huge financial investment
in an effort to win another European cup, but the club failed
to meet its expectations. While they did reach the European
cup final in 1988 & 1990, Benfica lost in the final against
PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan respectively. Domestically, Benfica
won 3 more championships (1989, 1991 and 1994) and 1 Portuguese
cup (1993).
The Dark Years (1994-2003)
Financial trouble began to undermine the club due to rampant
spending and a questionable signing policy which allowed for
squads composed of well over 30 players. Consequently the period
from 1994 through 2003 was arguably the darkest in the history
of Benfica. During this time Benfica won only one Portuguese
cup ('96) and finished in embarrassing positions such as 6th
in '00/'01 and 4th in '01/'02. The debts were accumulating,
and nearly every year saw the hire of a new Benfica coach and
the addition of high-priced but under-performing players.
The
New Era (2004-Present)
In 2004 the club regained some of its sporting prowess, with
a new president and the manager Jose Antonio Camacho, winning
the first title in eight years (the Portuguese cup, won against
Mourinho's FCPorto in the final), and in 2004–2005 the
first national championship in eleven years, this time with
Giovanni Trapattoni as coach. In 2005/2006 Benfica won the Portuguese
supercup for the 4th time.
In
the 2005-06 Champions League, Benfica managed to reach the quarter-finals,
defeating Manchester United 2-1 in the decisive group stage
encounter, and then overcoming the 2005 European champions Liverpool
F.C. 3-0 on aggregate. However Benfica lost in the Quarter Finals
to the eventual winner F.C. Barcelona by an aggregate of 2-0,
both goals coming during the second leg in Camp Nou. In the
2006 -07 season Benfica found themselves again facing Manchester
United in a decisive Champions League group match in which the
winner would advance. However, this time it was Manchester United
who prevailed, gaining revenge in a 3 - 1 win. On 20th August
2007 Jose Antonio Camacho returned to SL Benfica on a 2-year
contract, a more or less desperate move as Benfica was facing
a vital Champions League qualifying game against F.C. Copenhagen,
ending with an away win by 1-0 that granted Benfica a place
in 2007-08 Champions League where they exited the competition
at the group stage. They then parachuted to the UEFA Cup where
they were defeated by Spanish debutants, Getafe CF.
On May 22nd 2008, the former Valencia manager, Quique Sanchez
Flores was appointed as the clubs new manager. Benfica failed
to gain a top three finish in the Portuguese Liga 2007-08 and
will play the UEFA Cup this year.
Stadium
The Estádio da Luz, officially named the Estádio
do Sport Lisboa e Benfica which translated means, "Stadium
of Light", is a football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, the
home of SL Benfica. It is also called A Catedral ("The
Cathedral") by Benfica's supporters due to historical reasons.
The
term "Luz" refers, historically, to the parish of
the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz (the Church of Our Lady of
the Light). The Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England may
well have been inspired by the name of this Lisbon stadium.
Some
people mistakenly believe the stadium is mistranslated as "The
Stadium of Light", however, they are incorrect.
In
Spanish and Portuguese, the word "Luz" means "Light".
Although the stadium was named in honor of the parish, the words
"da Luz" in the parish name translates to "of
the Light". Hence, the name is not mistranslated and is
correctly translated. It is incorrect grammatically, to refer
to this naming as a "misnomer".
It
hosted several matches in the 2004 European Football Championship,
including the final. The previous Benfica stadium (also called
"Estádio da Luz" and one of the largest stadiums
in the world with 120,000 seats) was demolished and the new
one was built for the tournament with a capacity of 65,400.
Training center and youth academy
Benfica has state-of-the-art training facilities in Seixal.
The complex is called Caixa Futebol Campus, named for sponsoring
reasons after Caixa Geral de Depósitos which is the largest
banking corporation of Portugal. It is here that the professional
team trains daily and also the home of all Benfica's youth academy.
Supporters
In Portugal, a majority of the population who likes competitive
football, are said to be Benfica sympathisers. Almost every
municipality of Portugal has its own Casa do Benfica (House
of Benfica), which can also be found in many cities and towns
of countries worldwide (Andorra, Angola, Australia, Belgium,
Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, England, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau,
Luxembourg, Macao, South Africa, Switzerland, and United States).
Since
the 2004-2005 championship, club membership figures have seen
a significant increase. In April 2006 the number of club members
surpassed 140,000.[1] In July 2006, S.L. Benfica had 143,000
members, 1,000 more than Manchester United. S.L. Benfica is
since 2006, the club with the most associates (registered paying
supporters) in the world, with over 160,000 members.
Like
all major Portuguese football clubs, Benfica have an organized
group of supporters (claque, in Portugal), including the Diabos
Vermelhos (Red Devils), which is affiliated with the club, and
the No Name Boys, which maintains an independent line.
Benfica
has also the highest average attendance in Portuguese top league
with about 40 thousand supporters in the last season.
Organization and finances
Sport Lisboa e Benfica is organized by sports department and
has a number of specific businesses. The holding company for
all Sport Lisboa e Benfica's departments and businesses is the
Sport Lisboa e Benfica SGPS, S.A. that has participations in
all branches and businesses of the club.
Sport
Lisboa e Benfica - Futebol, S.A.D., the football department,
is the largest by number of athletes, allocated budget, attendance
and sponsoring contract's receipts. Portuguese stock market
authority CMVM approved in 2007 the Benfica's prospectus for
the initial public offering (IPO) for up to 15 mln shares in
the Futebol, S.A.D., a 33% free-float. Sport Lisboa e Benfica
- Futebol, S.A.D. (ticker: SLBEN) debuted on Euronext Lisbon
on 22 May 2007 and is since then a publicly traded company.
In June 2007, after the share price has fallen from an initial
5€/share to nearly 2,69€/share, Portuguese businessman
Joe Berardo made a takeover offer of 60% of the stock for 3,5€/share.
Benfica's president Luís Filipe Vieira refused the offer
saying "Benfica will always have the majority of the stock".
Notable
figures
Some notable personalities in S.L. Benfica's history include
(chronological order):
Cosme
Damião: Co-founder of the Sport Lisboa in February
28th, 1904, player and captain of the team (he retired as a
player (midfielder) in 1916, aged 30), and coach for a record
18 years, Cosme Damião would become the heart and soul
of the club in the first twenty-two years of the club's existence.
A charismatic figure, he was also one of the directors of the
club that eventually became SL Benfica, and it is not easy to
fully understand all his contributions to the club, as he was
involved in all Benfica's departments; despite this, he never
became President. He was behind all the club's major issues
during that period; in 1908, as Sport Lisboa barely struggled
to create a new football team after the departure of many players
to newly founded and wealthier Sporting CP (one of the reasons
for that being that Sport Lisboa didn't have a football field
of their own), he literally saved Sport Lisboa from collapse.
Thanks to his efforts, the main assets of Grupo Sport Benfica
were acquired by Sport Lisboa (the football field, the club
house, and even the board of directors), thus creating Sport
Lisboa e Benfica. Cosme Damião had a clear vision for
SL Benfica's future: he was in favour of sports eclecticism,
of the founding of regional houses and increasing the number
of associates (thus laying the groundstone to the Club's national
dimension), and also of playing international football games.
This merit is extraordinary, as virtually all of the first Lisbon
clubs disappeared, with the exception of Sporting C.P., Belenenses
and Casa Pia A.C., all of them founded with players contracted
at Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Cândido de Oliveira said about
him: "He made of Benfica the biggest portuguese club".
He was later awarded with the Golden Eagle, the most important
Benfica award for lifetime achievements in favour of the Club.
Benfica annually celebrates his name on a sports gala in which
the club's athletes and personalities of the year are nominated
and receive the Cosme Damião awards.
Ribeiro dos Reis: One of the players in Portugals
very first international friendly (against Spain) in 1921, he
played for Benfica in the years 1914-1925. He was also an athlete,
making good use of his impressive speed. Ribeiro dos Reis was
also a remarkable sports journalist, debuting at this parallel
career in 1915. He would as well give his personal mark as a
coach, a director in Benfica and in FPF, and as a prestigious
referee and national coach. A man of culture, he was nominated
for the FIFA Referees' Committee and was co-founder of the oldest
sports newspaper still active today, A Bola. He is one of the
few personalities awarded with the Golden Eagle, the main award
given by SL Benfica, recognizing notable achievements in favour
of the club.
José Maria Nicolau: It wasn´t any football achievement
to give national recognition to Benfica, but cycling, by giving
continued sport days along many cities and villages of Portugal.
This was incarnated by a strong man, whose days on a bicycle
since 1929 and through the next decade contributed uncountable
memories to the people. Nicolau gave to Portugal's sport many
passionate and unforgettable days competing on a bicycle, especially
with his friend although teams rival Trindade. Nicolau in the
thirties was considered a national sport hero, and he alone
conceded to the club a human patrimony that still is today one
of the Benfica's trademark: it´s huge popularity. He won
two times the Volta a Portugal as well as many other smaller
competitions and classics.
Rogério: Probably the greatest portuguese
footballer in the beginning of the 1950´s, he was known
as a skilled dribbler and a fine crosser. Rogério was
also a great goalscorer. He has the record for more goals in
the portuguese cups and was part of the Benfica team that won
the first international cup, the Latin Cup. He lifted the cup,
despite not being the captain. He made with Arsénio a
great duo. He was properly nicknamed Pipi, from a team mate,
because that was a common portuguese name referring to an elegant
and fashionable man (as Rogério was inside and outside
of the field). One of Benfica's legends, he played more than
300 games in 12 seasons at the club, with an impressive record
of more than 200 goals scored.
Otto Glória: The man that brought professionalism to
Benfica in the 50's and many said that without his influence
in the structure, no Champions Cup would be won. Using the 4-4-2
tactic, imported from Brazil, as well as new training techniques,
the Brazilian master shaped Benfica in such a way that he granted
the pillars to Portuguese domination and international rising.
Costa Pereira: An eclectic athlete, before fixing himself in
the football world, Costa Pereira was Benfica's keeper for thirteen
years, and is one of the club's legendary names. Was European
champion twice, Portuguese national champion seven times, and
won five Portuguese cups, with more than 350 games played at
the club. Was an international player between 1955 and 1965.
Mário Coluna: was a Mozambican-born
Portuguese footballer, perhaps the best midfielder his country
has ever had. His footballer nickname is O Monstro Sagrado (The
Sacred Monster). In 1999, he was voted 60th in the European
Player of the Century election held by the IFFHS ahead of Gunnar
Gren. He moved to Benfica in 1954/55, were he played until 1969/70.
He won 10 National Championships, and 6 Portuguese Cups. He
won the European Cup twice with Benfica, in 1961 and 1962, and
also played in the finals of 1963, 1965 and 1968, this last
time as the captain. He played 57 times for the Portugal national
team, scoring 8 goals.
José Águas: The legendary captain that won and
had the destiny of rising the most important cup of Benfica
history. Known for being a spectacular header and a tireless
worker, Águas marked an era and confessed years later
that he played football like it was a normal job. His son, Rui
Águas, who played for FC Porto in 1988 and return to
Benfica in 1990, scored 2 goals against Steaua Bucaresti in
the 1988 Champions Cup semi-final to take Benfica to the final
after 20 years of absence.
Bela Guttmann: This Hungarian coach arrived at Benfica
in 1959 and led the club to the Portuguese title in his very
first year. Better then that, in the following two years, with
a team that included Eusébio, José Águas,
José Augusto, Costa Pereira, António Simões,
Germano and Mário Coluna, the club won the European Cup
twice in a row. In 1961 they beat Barcelona 3-2 in the final
and in 1962 they retained the title, coming from 2-0 and 3-2
down to beat Real Madrid 5-3. But after this game he decided
to leave the club, because of monetarial controversy with the
Benfica directors and that's when, the legend says, he cursed
the club: "Not in a hundred years from now, will Benfica
win a European Cup again.". The truth is that despite being
finalists on six occasions - 1963 (A.C. Milan, 1-2 in Wembley),
1965 (Inter Milan, 0-1 in San Siro), 1968 (Manchester United,
1-4 AET in Wembley), 1983 (Anderlecht, 0-1 in Belgium, 1-1 in
Portugal), 1988 (PSV Eindhoven, in Neckarstadion 0-0 , 5-6 pk)
and 1990 (AC Milan 0-1, in Ernst Happel Stadion) - Benfica have
never won any European competition again. In fact, before the
1990 final, which was played in Vienna, where Guttmann was buried,
Eusébio prayed at his grave to ask for the curse to be
broken. It wasn't.
José Torres: The Bom Gigante (Good Giant) made a legacy
that no one can forget. He and Eusébio made one of the
more lethal duos of the 60's, and scored the goal that granted
the bronze medal in 1966. He was the coach of the Portuguese
team in the World Cup 1986 and before the miracle of Stuttgart
he asked the press to let him dream of an impossible win against
the powerful Germany; and eventually, Carlos Manuel, against
all odds, scored the goal that made that dream possible.
José Augusto: The Portuguese Garrincha,
considered in the 60's one of the best right wingers of the
world by the European press. He scored the goal in the first
Portuguese win against Brazil and was known for his speed and
dribbling and for being a good scorer. He was part of the "Fabulous
Five" of Benfica (Coluna, José Augusto, António
Simões, José Torres and Eusébio).
António Simões: One of the greatest left wingers
the world has met. With 18 years he was part of the team that
beat 5-3 Real Madrid at the 1962 Champions Cup Final and the
Portuguese team of "Magriços" in the 1966 World
Cup. Known for his perfect assists to Eusébio, even today
many say that more than half of the Black Panther goals belong
as well to Simões.
Eusébio: The days of the Portuguese
international Eusébio were Benfica's most glory filled
years. In 1962, he won the Champions Cup, scoring two goals
in the final against Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano's
Real Madrid. Benfica won 5-3. He scored 46 goals for Portugal
in 64 appearances, and hit 317 goals in 291 League games for
Benfica. He was the leading scorer in the 1966 World Cup where
he scored nine goals, four of those against North Korea. He
was the 1965 European Footballer of the Year, and in 1968 was
the first winner of the Golden Boot Award, as Europe's leading
scorer, a feat he repeated five years later. The Portuguese
Liga's top scorer seven times from 1964 to 1973, he helped Benfica
to 11 league championships and 5 cup wins. He scored an outrageous
727 goals in 715 matches wearing Benfica's jersey. Eusébio
was the all-time leading scorer for his country, with 41 goals
(in 64 matches), until Pauleta surpassed his record against
Latvia on October 12, 2005. His last game for the Selecção
was a 2-2 draw with Bulgaria on October 19, 1973 in a World
Cup qualifier. There is a statue of Eusebio at the main entrance
of the Estádio da Luz.
Humberto Coelho: Considered by many as the
best Portuguese defender of all times, Humberto played for Benfica
from 1968/69 to 1974/75, and from 1977/78 to 1984/85. He won
8 National Champion titles and 7 Portuguese Cups and was Portuguese
Footballer of the Year in 1974. Unfortunately he never played
in a major competition (he had a chance in 84 but had a terrible
injury). He was compared by his coaches (Pavic, Baroti, Hagan)
to Franz Beckenbauer. Later, he coached Portugal in a spectacular
campaign in the Euro 2000.
Toni: Known as "The Bearer of the Mística",
Toni was known in-game as a force of nature, due to his stamina
and strength. Captain and coach, he is the man that represented
Benfica more times than anyone else with nearly 400 games as
a player and 300 as a coach. He guided the team to great games
like Leverkusen(4-4) or Sporting (6-3 in alvalade).His stint
in 2001-2002 didn't go well and many said thath was because
he didn't evolved in his coaching skills. Even the less he still
is considered a legend.
Manuel Bento: Probably the greatest Portuguese keeper ever.
Since his debut in the Selecção until his last
game against England in the World Cup 1986 he played 63 of the
65 games that the national team played since his debut. He played
more than 400 games for Benfica. He was considered one of the
best keepers of the Euro 84 specially after a spectacular exhibition
against France (2-3). He was hired in 1972 and ended his career
in 1991.
Shéu Han: The red general, of Mozambican and Chinese
heritage, Shéu Han played more than 400 times for Benfica
and was known for his finesse in the game. He scored the goal
in the 1983 UEFA Cup final that didn't prevent Anderlecht from
winning the trophy. Even today he is the team secretary and
very popular among the fans.
Jimmy Hagan: Invincible should be his name,
after winning the Portuguese Championship in 1972/73 with an
unbeaten run (28 wins and 2 draws, with 23 of those victories
in a row). He won 3 titles (70-73) and created a team that rivaled
with none in Portugal.
Borges Coutinho: The most notorious president
of Benfica. He led the club from 1969 to 1977 and in that period
the club won 6 championships and 3 Portuguese cups, maintaining
the club finances in a very good state.
Chalana: His first appearance in the senior team was at the
age of 17 years old. He played in the club from 1975/76 to 1983/84
and 1987/88 to 1989/90 and won 6 championships and 3 Portuguese
cups. The peak of his career was at Euro 84, where he was one
the leading figures of the National Team that reached the semi-finals.
António Veloso: One of the few players
that surpassed 500 games for Benfica in all competitions. Known
for being resourceful, he played in various positions throughout
his career. Veloso was the player that was most times team captain
and bearer of the "Mística". He was the player
who missed the penalty kick in the penalty shootout of the 1988
Champions Cup Final, and he missed the 1990 Final due to seeing
a yellow card in the semi-final against Marseille, after fouling
a player that was about to score a goal that would prevent Benfica
from reaching the final.
Sven-Göran Eriksson: Success at other
clubs in Sweden got him into a bigger job in Portugal as he
took over Benfica. While at Benfica Eriksson had what many considerer
a quick impact at the Estádio da Luz when in his first
season he won the Portuguese Championship, the Portuguese cup
and finished runner-up in the 1983 UEFA Cup. After a second
Championship the following year, Eriksson moved to Italy with
A.S. Roma where he won the Coppa Italia in 1986. In 1989 Benfica
once again was where the Swedish coach began using his managing
power. In 1990 Sven led Benfica to the European Cup final with
players like prolific striker Mats Magnusson, and where they
were runners-up to A.C. Milan, Sven also won another league
title in 1991.
Diamantino Miranda: Even today Benfica supporters still
cry of his absence in the Stuttgart Champions Cup Final of 88,
specially because before his injury against Vitória Guimarães
he was in a spectacular form. Known for his fantasy, Diamantino
was also known for being a rebel but always giving his best
for the team.
Ricardo Gomes: The Brazilian central defender
arrived in the summer of 1988 and quickly became a key figure
in the team. Although they only played a season together, he
made with Carlos Mozer an important duo in the club's History.
He represented Benfica until the end of the 1991 season, and
returned to the club to fulfill another season (1995\96). With
a total of four titles won in four seasons, probably his greatest
achievement in the club was realized in April 1991, when he
became the first foreigner to be the captain of a football team
of Benfica.
Rui Costa: Known as The Maestro by Benfica
fans, has a life long love affair with the club. He arrived
at the club as a 10 year old, and debuted at 20 years old with
the senior team in 1991. He spent more 3 years at the club winning
one Portuguese league and one Portuguese cup. He then moved
to Fiorentina in the biggest transfer of Portuguese football,
back then. A famous episode took place when he returned to Estadio
da Luz to a friendly between Benfica and Fiorentina, and after
he scored a goal for the Italians, he started to cry, as the
Benfica fans cheered in applauses. In 2006 he returned to Benfica.
He retired from football at the end of the 2007/2008 season
and immediately took up a position as a club Director at Benfica.
João Vieira Pinto: Undoubtedly one of
the top three players of Benfica along the 1990 decade, he was
Benfica´s last player to be eight consecutive seasons
in the club. In the first period in Benfica (1992-1996) he climbed
fast to be the central player, and was nicknamed The Golden
Boy. By that time he was surely the top name in the portuguese
golden generation, just before other names arise into planetary
level. He was the key figure in the 1993\94 championship, and
in the decisive game at home of the national title's main opponent
(Sporting-3 Benfica-6), he demolish any fears of Benfica to
lose the title. He scored 3 goals that night, assisted in another,
and was involved in another goal. The portuguese' sports newspaper
A BOLA give him 10 points in 10 to his overall play, the first
time ever this happened, since the newspaper started given the
game-by-game regularity award, in the 1967\68 season. He would
be also the key player in the final of the 1995\96 portuguese
cup, having then completely surpassed a serious injury he suffered
in the last season. He already was then the captain of the team.
The last four years at the club were not successful at all,
not only by the absence of titles, but also because of the ultimate
degradation of Benfica's football department; JVP, as he was
also known, was only one of the few gifted players in the teams
that were changed almost completely every season, alongside
Preud´Homme or Poborsky. He controversially left Benfica
in 2000, without any glory whatsoever, despite being the horsepower
of the team by many years. As a free agent, would later sign
to Lisbon rival's Sporting.
Michel Preud'homme: was a famous goalkeeper
from Belgium known for his great saves. Preud'homme was also
at his best while at Benfica. He was the first keeper ever to
win the prestigious Yashin Award for his terrific saves in the
net, during the 1994 World Cup where he was part of the most
valuable players (MVP's). He signed for Benfica after that World
Cup, and won the Cup of Portugal in 1996 with the team. He was
considered by many people the best goalkeeper at the time, an
icon in his native Belgium and Benfica.
Simão Sabrosa : Simão was probably
the best player of Benfica in the last decade. In 2001, after
a comparatively low-key tenure at FC Barcelona, Simão
moved to Benfica, on a deal reportedly worth €12 million.
He became an instant fan-favorite, quickly acquired the status
of captain and was often acclaimed as Benfica's top player during
the six years he spent at the club and also one of the Portuguese
championship's best. Since he arrived at Benfica, Simão
always ended seasons as the best goalscorer of the squad. He
scored a total of 72 goals in 172 matches for Benfica, an extraordinary
record for a winger. In the 2007-2008 season Simão was
sold to Atlético Madrid for a €20 million fee plus
the choice of 2 players during the next 4 years.
Retired
numbers
S.L. Benfica has retired the number of Hungarian player Miklós
Fehér, who died of cardiac arrhythmia in January 2004
after falling unconscious during a match for the Portuguese
Liga.
29
Miklós Fehér, Striker, 2001 - 2004
Former
coaches
Cosme Damião : 1908-1926
Ribeiro dos Reis : 1926-1929
Arthur John : 1929-1931
Ribeiro dos Reis : 1931-1934
Vítor Gonçalves : 1934-1935
Lipót Hertzka : 1935-1939
János Biri : 1939-1947
Lipót Hertzka : 1947-1948
Edward "Ted" Smith : 1948-1952
Alberto Zozaya : 1952-1953
Ribeiro dos Reis : 1953
José Valdivieso: 1954
Otto Glória : 1954-1959
Béla Guttmann: 1959-1962
Fernando Riera : 1962-1963
Lajos Czeizler : 1963-1964
Elek Schwartz : 1964-1965
Béla Guttmann: 1965-1966
Fernando Riera : 1966-1967
Fernando Cabrita: 1967-1968
Otto Glória : 1968-1970
Jimmy Hagan : 1970-1973
Fernando Cabrita: 1973-1974
Milorad "Michel" Pavic : 1974-1975
Mário Wilson: 1975-1976
John Mortimore: 1976-1979
Mário Wilson: 1979-1980
Lajos Baróti: 1980-1982
Sven-Göran Eriksson : 1982-1984
Pál Csernai : 1984-1985
John Mortimore: 1985-1987
Ebbe Skovdahl : 1987
Toni : 1987-1989
Sven-Göran Eriksson : 1989-1992
Tomislav Ivic : 1992
Toni : 1992-1994
Artur Jorge : 1994-1995
Mário Wilson: 1995-1996
Paulo Autuori : 1996-1997
Manuel José : 1997
Mário Wilson: 1997
Graeme Souness : 1997-1999
Jupp Heynckes : 1999-2000
José Mourinho : 2000
Toni : 2000-2002
Jesualdo Ferreira : 2002
José Antonio Camacho : 2002-2004
Giovanni Trapattoni : 2004-2005
Ronald Koeman : 2005-2006
Fernando Santos : 2006-2007
José Antonio Camacho : 2007-2008
Fernando Chalana : 2008
Quique Sanchez Flores: 2008 - Present
Official Song
O Hino do Benfica, «Ser Benfiquista», é da
autoria, letra e música, de Manuel Paulino Júnior,
avô materno de Nuno e Henrique Feist. É interpretado
por Luís Piçarra. Oiça o Hino do Benfica.
Sou
do Benfica
Isso me envaidece
Tenho a genica
Que a qualquer engrandece
Sou de um clube lutador
Que na luta com fervor
Nunca encontrou rival
Neste nosso Portugal
Ser
benfiquista
É ter na alma
A chama imensa
Que nos conquista
E leva à palma
A luz intensa
Do Sol que lá no céu
Risonho vem beijar
Com orgulho muito seu
As camisolas berrantes
Que nos campos a vibrar
São papoilas saltitantes
Ser
benfiquista
É ter na alma
A chama imensa
Que nos conquista
E leva à palma
A luz intensa
Do Sol que lá no céu
Risonho vem beijar
Com orgulho muito seu
As camisolas berrantes
Que nos campos a vibrar
São papoilas saltitantes
Que
nos campos a vibrar
São papoilas saltitantes
»
listen to the song now
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