SL Benfica
SPORT LISBOA E BENFICA CLUB HISTORY SUMMARY
SL Benfica were last champions of Portugal in 1994, yet they remain the country's most titled and best-supported club. Formed in 1904 as Sport Lisboa, they starred in local tournaments before absorbing the Sport Clube de Benfica in 1908 and adopting their present name, Sport Lisboa e Benfica. By now they were playing in Quinta da Feiteira, near the church of Benfica - a neighbourhood of Lisbon.
Growing prestige
With the start of the national competitions in the late 1930s, Benfica's prestige grew. Their first league championship came in 1935/36 and after FC Porto won the first two editions of the new Campeonato Nacional da 1 Divisão, Benfica claimed the 1941/42 edition and embarked on a long period of domination which has yielded 30 league titles and 26 Portuguese Cups.
Golden years
The 1960s provided the best chapter in this golden history. In 1960/61, Benfica lifted the European Champion Clubs' Cup, defeating FC Barcelona 3-2 in the final. The following year, with Eusébio in their ranks, they repeated the feat, beating Real Madrid CF 5-3.
'The King'
The ruling that only Portuguese players could wear the famous red and white did not hinder Benfica's progress, and with Eusébio leading the line the Eagles reached three more European Cup finals - in 1962/63, 1964/65 and 1967/68, losing out to AC Milan, Internazionale FC and Manchester United FC respectively.
Stadium opened
On the domestic front, Benfica's supremacy was almost absolute. On 1 December 1954, the club opened the Estádio da Luz, the biggest and best Portuguese stadium built with the help of Benfica supporters all over the world and named after the Luz district where it stands.
European adventures
The new ground grew together with the status of the club and the completion of a new stand in 1985 took the capacity to 120,000. Nicknamed 'the cathedral', the stadium witnessed some historic moments in European competition in that decade. After the decision to open the squad to foreign players - in 1979 Brazilian Jorge Gomes became the club's first import - Benfica reached the UEFA Cup final in 1983, losing to RSC Anderlecht. They subsequently reached the European Cup final in 1987/88, going down on penalties to PSV Eindhoven, and 1989/90 when they were beaten 1-0 by Milan.
Fresh hope
But stricken by problems on and off the field, Benfica endured their worst decade in the 1990s - when Porto were all-conquering. However, supporters hope the inauguration of a new stadium - also called the Luz and due to open in October 2003 - will mark a turning point for the Lisbon giant. Certainly, a second-place finish in the 2002/03 season and UEFA Champions League qualification raised expectations of better times ahead.
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira
Eusébio, one of footballs greatest. The legendary Mozambique-born striker was acquired by Benfica from Lourenco Marques (Mozambique) among much controversy between Benfica and Sporting. The two Portuguese giants were battling eachother for the rights of Eusébio, during this time Benfica "hid" him in a small fishing village in the Algarve until the problem died down. Throughout his 14-year career with Benfica, Eusébio won the Champions League 2 times, the Portuguese League 11 times and the Portuguese Cup 5 times. He also lead the Portuguese League in scoring from 1964 to 1968 and won it again in 1973. Also in 1968 and 1973 Eusébio lead all of Europe in scoring. He is also the second highest scorer in European competition with 46 goals, behind Real Madrid's Alfredo Di Stefano with 49. Eusébio also holds the record of scoring the most goals for Benfica (319 goals) and the Portuguese National Team (41 goals). No other Benfica/Portugal player has had the fame or respect that is for Eusébio. Eusébio is also undoubtedly one of the biggest Benfica supporters in the world and is still very active within the club.
Simão
Simão Sabrosa is only twenty-three years old but has experienced everything that a veteran footballer has. From being a junior to moving to one of the biggest clubs in Europe (FC Barcelona), Simão has made everyone love his qualities as a player. From changing his dramatic speed in a run to his precision shot and pass, there‘s no denying his skill. Simão is now one of the best players in Portugal and last season was one goal away from being the league-leading scorer, from midfield. ‘Simãozinho’ moved to Sport Lisboa e Benfica at the beginning of the 2001/2002 season and conquered all the Benfiquistas hearts by being the most decisive player of the squad. To this day, he is most likely still that decisive player.
