|
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 1934, and, together
with FC Porto and Sporting CP, they have never been relegated
from the Primeira Divisão.
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 (2003-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.
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 39 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.
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-Present
|
