S.L. Benfica

"Benfica" redirects here. For other uses, see Benfica (disambiguation).

This article is about the football team. For other uses, see S.L. Benfica (disambiguation).

Benfica

Full name	Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Nickname(s)	Benfiquistas (supporters) As Águias (The Eagles) Os Encarnados (The Reds) O Glorioso (The Glorious One)
Short name	SLB
Founded	28 February 1904 (1904-02-28) as Sport Lisboa
Ground	Estádio da Luz
Capacity	65,647
President	Luís Filipe Vieira
Manager	Jorge Jesus
League	Primeira Liga
2013–14	1st
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Sport Lisboa e Benfica, ComC, OM, MHIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [spɔɾ liʒˈboɐ i bɐ̃ȷ̃ˈfikɐ]), commonly known as Benfica, or simply as SLB, is a Portuguese sports club based in Lisbon. The club is best known for its professional football team that plays in the Primeira Liga, the top tier of the Portuguese football league system, where they are the most successful and the current champions.

Founded on 28 February 1904, Benfica is one of the Big Three (Portuguese: Três Grandes) clubs in Portugal, along with its long-standing rivals Sporting CP and FC Porto, who have never been relegated from the Portuguese league since its establishment in 1934. Benfica is the most supported Portuguese club and it is the European club with the biggest percentage of supporters in its own country (47%). According to FIFA Benfica is the biggest club in the world</ref>, a claim disputed by german club Bayern Munich</ref>. It is the twenty-sixth richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €126 million, and is evaluated as the thirty-eighth most valuable football brand in the world. The club's motto is "E pluribus unum" (Out of many, one) and its official anthem is "Ser Benfiquista". The club colours are red and white, and the team is nicknamed Águias (Eagles) or Encarnados (Reds), while their supporters are called Benfiquistas. Since 2003, Benfica have played their home games at the new Estádio da Luz, which replaced the previous 49-year-old ground.

Benfica is the most successful Portuguese club in terms of domestic titles (71), having won a total of 73 titles, being the only club to have won all Portuguese competitions. Benfica have won a record of 33 Primeira Liga titles, a record of 25 Taça de Portugal (and 4 consecutively)—achieving a record of 10 doubles—a record of 5 Taça da Liga (and 4 consecutively), 5 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and 3 Campeonato de Portugal (a record 2 consecutive). In 2014, Benfica achieved an unprecedented treble of Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga. It also won the Supertaça, becoming the only club to have won all four domestic titles in a year. It is also the only club to have won the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga, twice. Benfica became the first team in Portuguese league history to complete two 30-game seasons without defeats, namely the 1972–73 and 1977–78 seasons. In the former, Benfica achieved the largest difference of points ever between champions and runners-up (18 points) in a two-points-per-win system. Benfica also holds the European record for the most consecutive wins in domestic league (29), between 1971–72 and 1972–73, as well the record for the longest unbeaten run in Portuguese league (56), between 1976–77 and 1978–79.

Internationally, Benfica won two consecutive European Cup in 1961 and 1962, a unique feat in Portuguese football. In addition, they were runners-up at the Intercontinental Cup in 1961 and 1962, at the European Cup in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990 (the Portuguese club with the most finals and a record three consecutive), and at the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 1983, 2013 and 2014 (the Portuguese club with the most finals and a record two consecutive). Benfica have reached 10 European finals, which ranks seventh all-time among UEFA clubs and is also a Portuguese record. In 2000, it was ranked twelfth in FIFA Club of the Century award. In 2009, it was ranked ninth in "Europe's Club of the Century" by IFFHS.

Benfica is ranked fifth in UEFA club coefficient rankings and twelfth in IFFHS World Club Ranking, which are the best positions of a Portuguese club.

History

Early years (1904–1908)

Cosme Damião was the main force behind the birth of Benfica

The first Benfica team, in 1904

On 28 February 1904, a group of former students from the Real Casa Pia de Lisboa and members of Associação do Bem met at the back of the Farmácia Franco on Rua de Belém with the goal of forming a social and cultural football club that would be called Sport Lisboa. There were a total of 24 people who attended the meeting, including the eighteen years old co-founder and future soul of the club: Cosme Damião. During the meeting, José Rosa Rodrigues was appointed as the club's first president, along with Daniel Brito as secretary and Manuel Gourlade as treasurer. In this historic meeting it was defined that the colours of the club would be red (for bravery) and white (for peace), and the crest composed of an eagle (symbolising high aspirations), and the motto "E pluribus unum" (Out of many, one).

On 1 January 1905, Benfica played their first match ever, winning 1–0 against Campo de Ourique. Despite important victories in the first few years, the club suffered due to poor operating conditions, namely the football dirt field Terras do Desembargador. As a result, in 1907, eight players joined Sporting CP, located across the city. This event started the major rivalry between the two clubs.

On 13 September 1908, Sport Lisboa acquired by mutual agreement the Grupo Sport Benfica (founded on 26 July 1906 and renamed Sport Clube de Benfica in March 1908) and changed its name to Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Despite the merger of the two clubs, they continued their respective club operations. For Sport Lisboa they maintained the football team, the red and white shirt colours, the eagle as the symbol and "E pluribus unum" as the motto. For Grupo Sport Benfica they maintained the field Campo da Feiteira, the main directors and the club's house. Under mutual agreement, both clubs determined that the foundation date of the newly formed club—Sport Lisboa e Benfica—should coincide with the foundation date of Sport Lisboa given that it was the most recognised club in the merger and it was already quite popular in Lisbon due to its football merits. In regard to the new club's logo, a cycling wheel was added to the crest of Sport Lisboa to represent the most important sport of Grupo Sport Benfica. As for the new club's name, "Benfica" from "Grupo Sport Benfica" was merged with "Sport Lisboa" to form "Sport Lisboa e Benfica", which remains the formal full name. Furthermore, the two entities of the new club had simultaneous members which helped to stabilise operations and later increased the success of the merger.

First national titles (1908–1950)

However, problems with the club's rented field remained. In 1913, Benfica moved to their first football grass field Campo de Sete Rios. Four years later they moved to Campo de Benfica due to a high rent. In 1925, Benfica moved to their own stadium, Estádio das Amoreiras, and this was the place where Benfica won their first national titles. The Portuguese league began in 1934 and, after finishing third in the first edition, Benfica won the next three championships in a row (1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38). In 1940, Benfica won their first Taça de Portugal. In 1941, Benfica moved to Estádio do Campo Grande. Through the 1940s, Benfica won three Primeira Liga (1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45) and won four Taça de Portugal (1940, 1943, 1944, 1949). János Biri achieved the first double for the club in 1943.

Rise to dominance (1950–1960)

The Latin Cup

Benfica's first major international success happened in 1950 when they won the Latin Cup (the only Portuguese club to do so), the predecessor of the European Champion Clubs' Cup, defeating Bordeaux at the Estádio Nacional, in Lisbon, with Ted Smith as manager. They reached another final of this competition in 1957 but lost to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.

With Joaquim Ferreira Bogalho elected as president in 1952 and the arrival of manager Otto Glória in 1954, Benfica became more modernised and professional, and moved into the Estádio da Luz with an initial capacity of 40,000 spectators; later expanded to 70,000 in 1960.

During the 1950s, Benfica won three Primeira Liga (1949–50, 1954–55, 1956–57) and six Taça de Portugal (1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959), achieving the second double in 1955 and the third one in 1957. In addition to these successes, Benfica was able to end the decade with the basic foundations in place, enabling the club to enter the 1960s as one of the best in European football.

Golden years (1960–1970)

Eusébio, Ballon d'Or winner in 1965

José Águas, twice European champion

Led by manager Béla Guttmann, Benfica was the first team to break Real Madrid's dominance in European Champion Clubs' Cup by winning two consecutive European Cup, the first against Barcelona in 1961 at the Wankdorf Stadium and the second one against Real Madrid in 1962 at the Olympic Stadium.

Later on, Benfica reached another three European Cup finals but lost them to Milan in 1963 at the Wembley Stadium, to Internazionale in 1965 at the San Siro, and to Manchester United in 1968 again at the Wembley Stadium.

Many of Benfica's successes in this decade were achieved with all-time football great Eusébio—the only player to have won a Ballon d'Or for a Portuguese club—, Mário Coluna and other notable players.

The 1960s were the best period of the club's history, in which Benfica won eight Primeira Liga (1959–60, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69), three Taça de Portugal (1962, 1964, 1969) and two European Cup (1960–61, 1961–62). The fourth domestic double was achieved in 1964 with Lajos Czeizler and the fifth one in 1969 with Otto Glória. In 1968, Benfica was elected the European Team of the Year by France Football.

During this decade, Benfica was ranked first in European football, three times.

Dominance and decline (1970–1994)

Shéu spent his entire player career with Benfica, winning 17 major titles

Sven-Göran Eriksson won two consecutive league titles and reached two European finals

During the 1970s, the team faded slightly from the European scene, but remained the main force of Portuguese football, winning six Primeira Liga (1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77) and two Taça de Portugal (1970, 1972). Jimmy Hagan led the club to three Primeira Liga and one Taça de Portugal between 1970 and 1973, achieving the club's sixth double in 1972. Benfica also attracted Europe-wide attention when they reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, where the team was only narrowly defeated 1–0 on aggregate by Ajax of Johan Cruyff.

In 1972–73, Benfica became the first club in Portugal to last a whole season without defeat and won 28 matches—23 consecutively—out of 30, and drew 2. 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 the 100 goals mark for the second time in the club's history, and conceded 13 goals.

In the late 1970s, early 1980s, the club had some corporate management problems but the team managed to keep up to their high standards again. In 1981, Lajos Baróti secured the seventh double for Benfica by winning the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal. Later, under the guidance of Sven-Göran Eriksson, the club won two consecutive Primeira Liga (1982–83, 1983–84) and one Taça de Portugal (1983), achieving the eighth double, and reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 1983 but lost on aggregate score to Anderlecht. In the same year, Benfica also won the Iberian Cup II, beating Athletic Bilbao on aggregate. Eight years later, they were runners-up against Atlético de Madrid in Iberian Cup III.

Following the completion of improvements to the stadium, the board of Benfica decided to open the third level of the Estádio da Luz, which transformed it into the biggest football stadium in Europe and third largest in the world, with a seating capacity of 120,000 spectators (up to 135,000 in the days of 'standing behind the goals'). In 1986–87, John Moltimore won the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal, obtaining the ninth double for Benfica.

From 1988 to 1994, Benfica made a huge financial investment in an effort to win another European Cup, reaching two European Cup finals in 1988 and 1990 but lost them to PSV and Milan, respectively. During the same period of time, Benfica won three Primeira Liga (1988–89, 1990–91, 1993–94) and one Taça de Portugal (1993).

Crisis (1994–2003)

Financial trouble dating back to the 1980s when Benfica completed the third tier (Terceiro Anel) of the Estádio da Luz and a long time dream of making Benfica again European Champion started to deteriorate the club finances. The rampant spending and a questionable signing policy which allowed for squads composed of well over 30 players, further aggravating the problem.

Consequently, the period from 1994 through 2003 was arguably the darkest in the history of Benfica. During this time, Benfica only won the Taça de Portugal in 1996 and had their lowest Primeira Liga finishing positions, such as sixth in 2000–01 and fourth in 2001–02. Benfica entered in default during the João Vale e Azevedo term of club presidency which further damaged the club finances and credibility, and nearly every year saw the hire of two or more managers, between 1994 and 2002, eleven managers shared the seat, Mário Wilson, three times no less.

It was during this period that Benfica paid €12 million for Simão Sabrosa, smashing the Portuguese transfer record, and decided to build the new Estádio da Luz on 28 September 2001, which would eventually cost €162 million.

Rebuilding years (2003–2009)

31st league title celebration

In 2003–04 season, with new president Luís Filipe Vieira and new manager José Antonio Camacho, Benfica won their 24th Taça de Portugal defeating José Mourinho's Porto in the final (2–1).

In 2004–05, Benfica won their 31st Portuguese League (the first in ten seasons) with Giovanni Trapattoni as manager. 2004 was marked by the death of the Hungarian player Miklós Fehér during a match against Vitória de Guimarães at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques. The wake was held at the same stadium and then Benfica's president and the entire squad travelled to Hungary for the player's burial.

In 2005–06, Benfica won their fourth Supertaça against Vitória de Setúbal (1–0). In Europe, Benfica managed to reach the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League defeating Manchester United 2–1 in the decisive group stage encounter, and then overcoming the European champions Liverpool 3–0 on aggregate. However, Benfica lost in the quarter-finals to the eventual Champions League winners Barcelona by an aggregate of 2–0, both goals coming during the second leg at Camp Nou.

In 2006–07, 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 20 August 2007, manager Camacho returned to Benfica on a two-year contract, following the sacking of Fernando Santos after one match in the Primeira Liga (a tie against the promoted Leixões), at a time when Benfica was facing a vital Champions League qualifying match against Copenhagen. A successful move since Benfica guaranteed a place in the Champions League after defeating Copenhagen 1–0, but then exited the competition at the group stage. The team was put into UEFA Cup where they lost to Getafe. Camacho resigned on 9 March 2008, then with interim manager Fernando Chalana the club failed to gain a top three finish in the league, placing the team in the UEFA Cup.

On 22 May 2008, Quique Flores was appointed as Benfica's new manager where he won the club's first Taça da Liga defeating Sporting CP. The club was third in Primeira Liga getting a place in the UEFA Europa League.

On 8 June 2009, Quique Flores resigned as manager after agreeing to a friendly contractual termination.

Jesus years (2009–present)

32nd league title celebration

On 17 June 2009, Benfica signed Jorge Jesus.

In 2009–10 season, Benfica had the highest average home attendance of 50,033 and the highest mark was 58,659 against FC Porto, a match won by Benfica 1–0. On 21 March 2010, Benfica beat Porto 3–0 in the Taça da Liga final and won their second consecutive trophy. In Europe, Benfica was drawn against Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. At the Estádio da Luz, Benfica defeated Liverpool 2–1 but were eliminated after a 4–1 loss at Anfield. On 9 May 2010, Benfica won their final league match against Rio Ave and became champion of the 2009–10 Primeira Liga, conquering their 32nd Primeira Liga title and securing a direct entry into the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. Óscar Cardozo finished top scorer of the Primeira Liga with 26 goals.

In 2010–11, after participating in the Champions League, Benfica moved to Europa League and progressed to their first European semi-final in eighteen years. The team lost on the away goals rule after a 2–2 result against Braga. On 23 April 2011, Benfica won the Taça da Liga final against Paços de Ferreira, clinching their third consecutive title in this competition. The club finished second in Primeira Liga.

In 2011–12, Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, being eliminated by eventual winners Chelsea; won their fourth consecutive Taça da Liga, and was second in Primeira Liga qualifying directly to the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. Óscar Cardozo was the top scorer of Primeira Liga for the second time, with 20 goals. In January 2012, Benfica was ranked eight in World Club Ranking by IFFHS.

2013 UEFA Europa League Final

In 2012–13, Benfica returned to a European final, after coming third in their Champions League group, Benfica reached the Europa League final but lost 2–1 to the 2012 European champions Chelsea. It was the ninth European final overall for Benfica and the first since the 1990 European Cup final. Domestically, Benfica was second in Primeira Liga by one point, despite leading before the penultimate day. They reached the semi-finals of the Taça da Liga but lost in penalty shootout against the eventual winners Braga. They reached the final of the Taça de Portugal but lost (1–2) against Vitória de Guimarães with the first goal conceded being an offside goal. Benfica had the highest average attendance (42,366) of Primeira Liga.

The 2013–14 season was one of the best in the club's history as Benfica won their 33rd champions title, their fifth Taça da Liga, without conceding a single goal (record), reached the Europa League final for a second consecutive time, without any defeat (record), and won their 25th Taça de Portugal, achieving the tenth Portuguese double. On 18 May 2014, Jorge Jesus achieved an historic treble for Benfica and a unique one in Portuguese football. Benfica completed the season unbeaten at home in all five competitions, and had the best defence of all European leagues with 18 goals conceded. Lima was the top goalscorer with 21 goals (14 in the league). In terms of average home attendance, the club improved the previous number to 43,613. In January 2014, Benfica was ranked tenth in World Club Ranking by IFFHS.

Benfica started the 2014–15 season by winning the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, thus establishing a new Portuguese record of all four domestic titles won in a year. In August 2014, RSSSF ranked Benfica as the best team in UEFA competitions over the last 5 years, fourth in the last 10 years, and seventh in all-time ranking.

Support

Fanmade earthwork resembling Benfica crest

See also: List of S.L. Benfica filiations, Diabos Vermelhos, and No Name Boys

The supporters of Benfica are known as Benfiquistas. They call the club o Glorioso (the Glorious One) hence the popular chant "Glorioso SLB".

Due to the success and popularity of its football team and other sports, Benfica has built the biggest fan base in Portugal with an estimated 5,8 million fans (historically 6 million), and one of the biggest in the world with an estimated 14 million fans spread across different countries such as Andorra, Angola, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mozambique, Netherlands, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom and the United States.

On 9 November 2006, Benfica set the Guinness World Record for "the most widely supported football club", with 160,398 paid-up members.

In February 2014, Benfica had over 235,000 members and was the biggest club in the world. Benfica is the European club with the biggest percentage of supporters in its own country (47%).

The club has the twenty-fourth highest average attendance of European football clubs, which is the highest in Portugal.

Rivalries

Derby de Lisboa

Lisbon derby in April 2013

Main article: Derby de Lisboa

The Derby da Capital is the most important football derby in Portugal. It is played between the Lisbon teams of Benfica and Sporting. The rivalry originated back in 1907 when eight Benfica players moved to Sporting. The match is followed worldwide, especially in the former Portuguese colonies.

O Clássico

Main article: O Clássico

The rivalry between Benfica and FC Porto comes about as Lisbon and Porto are the two largest Portuguese cities, respectively. These clubs are two of the wealthiest, and the most successful and influential teams in Portugal.

Records and statistics

Statue of the all-time top goalscorer Eusébio

Further information: List of S.L. Benfica records and statistics

Eusébio is the all-time top goalscorer with 474 goals in 440 matches. Nené has the most official appearances overall (575). Luisão has the most appearances in European matches. Cosme Damião is the longest-serving manager (18 years). Jorge Jesus is the manager with most matches, wins, and national titles won.

Benfica was the first club to win the Primeira Liga without a defeat during the 1972–73 season and also the first to do it twice in 1977–78. In 1972–73, Benfica won 23 matches in a row and set the Portuguese league record for most consecutive wins. The team finished the season with 58 points in 30 matches, the most ever obtained (96.7% efficiency), and achieved the largest difference ever between champions and runners-up (18 points), in a 2 points per win system. Benfica also holds the Portuguese record of 56 matches in Primeira Liga without a defeat from 24 October 1976 to 1 September 1978.

In terms of titles won, Benfica holds the Portuguese records of 2 consecutive European Cup, 10 European finals, 33 Primeira Liga, 25 Taça de Portugal, 5 Taça da Liga, 10 doubles (excluding the 2 league and league cup doubles) and a unique domestic treble (league, cup and league cup).

In 1965–66 European Cup, Benfica scored 18 goals against Stade Dudelange and achieved the highest goal aggregate in European Cup/UEFA Champions League. Benfica also holds the European record of 29 consecutive wins in domestic league, between 1971–72 and 1972–73. In UEFA Europa League, Benfica have the most games played, goals scored and wins, and is the only club to have reached two finals consecutively, the most recent without any defeat, which is a new record.

Recent seasons

Ángel Di María playing for Benfica in 2007

Further information: List of S.L. Benfica seasons

Season	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Top league scorer	Goals	Top overall scorer	Goals	TP	TL	ST	UCL	UEL
2004–05	1st	34	19	8	7	51	31	65	Simão	15	Simão	22	RU	—	RU	Q3	R32
2005–06	3rd	34	20	7	7	51	29	67	Nuno Gomes	15	Nuno Gomes	17	QF		W	QF	—
2006–07	3rd	30	20	7	3	55	20	67	Simão	11	Simão	16	R16		—	GS	QF
2007–08	4th	30	13	13	4	45	21	52	Óscar Cardozo	13	Óscar Cardozo	22	SF	R4	GS	R16
2008–09	3rd	30	17	8	5	54	32	59	Óscar Cardozo	17	Óscar Cardozo	17	R16	W	—	—	GS
2009–10	1st	30	24	4	2	78	20	76	Óscar Cardozo	26	Óscar Cardozo	38	R32	W	—	—	QF
2010–11	2nd	30	20	3	7	61	31	63	Óscar Cardozo	12	Óscar Cardozo	23	SF	W	RU	GS	SF
2011–12	2nd	30	21	6	3	66	27	69	Óscar Cardozo	20	Óscar Cardozo	28	R16	W	—	QF	—
2012–13	2nd	30	24	5	1	77	20	77	Lima	20	Óscar Cardozo	33	RU	SF	—	GS	RU
2013–14	1st	30	23	5	2	58	18	74	Lima	14	Lima	21	W	W	—	GS	RU

• Last updated: 4 December 2014
• Pos = Position in Primeira Liga; Pld = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
• TP = Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup); TL = Taça da Liga (Portuguese League Cup); ST = Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Portuguese Supercup); UCL = UEFA Champions League; UEL = UEFA Europa League
• R4 = Fourth round; Q3 = Third qualifying round; GS = Group stage; R64 = Round of 64; R32 = Round of 32; R16 = Round of 16; QF = Quarter-finals; SF = Semi-finals; RU = Runners-up; W = Winners

Crest and shirt

Eagle and motto at the entrance of the stadium

Águia Vitória is the mascot

Benfica crest is composed of an eagle—as a symbol of independence, authority and nobility—positioned atop the shield with the colours red and white—symbolising bravery and peace, respectively —, the motto "E pluribus unum" (Out of many, one), and the acronym "SLB" for "Sport Lisboa e Benfica" over a football ball; everything superimposed on a bicycle wheel, which was taken from the Grupo Sport Benfica.

Emblem evolution

The origin of the crest goes back to 1908 when Sport Lisboa was merged with Grupo Sport Benfica. The crest was modified in 1930 and 1999, the last modification was essentially the repositioning of the eagle. Since 2008, the club has been using a commemorative crest about important football titles in its history by adding stars on top of it.

• 
  Sport Lisboa
  (1904–1908)
• 
  Grupo Sport Benfica
  (1906–1908)
• 
  Sport Lisboa e Benfica
  (1908–1930)
• 
  Sport Lisboa e Benfica
  (1930–1999)
• 
  Sport Lisboa e Benfica
  (1999–present)

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
1977–1985	Adidas	none
1985–1986		Shell
1986–1990		Fnac
1990–1992	Hummel
1992–1994		Casino Estoril
1994–1996	Olympic	Parmalat
1996–1997		Telecel
1997–2000	Adidas
2000–2001		Netc
2001–2002		Telecel/Vodafone
2002–2005		Vodafone
2005–2008		PT
2008–2012		TMN
2012–2015		MEO
2015–2021		TBD

Since 1977, Benfica has had a total of three kit manufacturers and ten shirt sponsors.

The club's first kit manufacturer was Adidas from 1977 to 1990 (thirteen seasons), while the first shirt sponsor was Shell for one season in 1985–86. The next season, Fnac was the new sponsor until 1992 (six seasons). Two years before, in 1990, kit manufacturer changed to Hummel, until 1994 (four seasons) along with Casino Estoril since 1992 (two seasons). In 1994, both the kit manufacturer and shirt sponsor changed, the former changed to Olympic until 1997 (three seasons) and the latter changed to Parmalat until 1996 (two seasons). Then, Telecel sponsored Benfica until 2000 (four seasons). Three years before, in 1997, Adidas started manufacturing the kit again. In 2000–01, the shirt was sponsored by Netc (netcetera). In 2001–02, the shirt sponsor was shared between Telecel and Vodafone. The following year, Vodafone continued to be the sponsor until 2005 (four seasons). Then, Portugal Telecom (PT) was the sponsor for the next three seasons. In 2008, shirt sponsor changed to TMN also for three seasons. In 2012, MEO became the shirt sponsor until 2015, again three seasons.

On 19 April 2014, it was announced that Benfica and Adidas renewed the ten-season contract of 2003 until 2021.

Grounds

A panorama of the new Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal

Main articles: Estádio da Luz and Estádio da Luz (1954)

For the training centre and youth academy, see Futebol Campus.

During their history, Benfica had to play (mostly) in rented fields until 1925. Then, after their own stadium was built, they played there until 1940. In 1941, they started playing at the rented municipal stadium before moving to their own second stadium, fourteen years later. From 1954 to 2003, Benfica played at the old Estádio da Luz, the largest stadium in Europe and the third largest in the world in terms of capacity at the time. It was demolished and the new stadium was built.

Since 2003, Benfica have played at the Estádio da Luz (officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica), located in Lisbon, Portugal. The stadium has a capacity of 65,647 spectators; 64,642 in Primeira Liga matches.

A UEFA category four stadium, the new Estádio da Luz hosted several matches of the UEFA Euro 2004, including the final. On 20 March 2012, the stadium was designated the venue for the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, which was played on 24 May 2014.

Museum

Main article: Museu Benfica

The Museu Benfica – Cosme Damião, located near the stadium, was inaugurated on 26 July 2013 and opened to the public three days later on 29 July. It was considered the Best Portuguese Museum of 2014.

Honours

Main article: List of S.L. Benfica honours

As of 11 August 2014, Benfica have won a record 33 Primeira Liga, a record 25 Taça de Portugal, a record 5 Taça da Liga, 5 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, 3 Campeonato de Portugal (71 domestic titles), and 2 European Cup (73 titles).

Domestic

• Primeira Liga

Winners (33): 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1993–94, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2013–14 (record)

• Taça de Portugal

Winners (25): 1939–40, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1992–93, 1995–96, 2003–04, 2013–14 (record)

• Taça da Liga

Winners (5): 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14 (record)

• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

Winners (5): 1980, 1985, 1989, 2005, 2014

• Campeonato de Portugal

Winners (3): 1929–30, 1930–31, 1934–35

European

• European Cup / UEFA Champions League

Winners (2): 1960–61, 1961–62

Runners-up (5): 1962–63, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1987–88, 1989–90

• UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League

Runners-up (3): 1982–83, 2012–13, 2013–14

Worldwide

• Intercontinental Cup

Runners-up (2): 1961, 1962

Doubles and Trebles

• Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal

10: 1942–43, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1986–87, 2013–14 (record)

• Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga

2: 2009–10, 2013–14 (record)

• European Double (Primeira Liga and European Cup)

1: 1960–61

• Domestic Treble (Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga)

1: 2013–14 (record)

Players

Main article: List of S.L. Benfica players

For reserve team players, see S.L. Benfica B. For under-19 team players, see S.L. Benfica Juniors.

Current squad

Further information: 2014–15 S.L. Benfica season § Squad information

As of 2 February 2015

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	BRA	Artur
2	DF	ARG	Lisandro López
4	DF	BRA	Luisão (captain)
5	MF	SRB	Ljubomir Fejsa
6	MF	POR	Rúben Amorim (vice-captain)
7	MF	GRE	Andreas Samaris
8	FW	SRB	Miralem Sulejmani
9	FW	BRA	Derley
10	MF	ARG	Nicolás Gaitán
11	FW	BRA	Lima
13	GK	POR	Paulo Lopes
14	DF	URU	Maxi Pereira (vice-captain)
15	MF	NED	Ola John
17	FW	BRA	Jonas

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
18	MF	ARG	Eduardo Salvio
19	DF	POR	Eliseu
20	GK	BRA	Júlio César
21	FW	POR	Pizzi
23	DF	SUI	Loris Benito
24	MF	ITA	Bryan Cristante
25	FW	URU	Jonathan Rodríguez (on loan from Peñarol)
27	MF	GER	Hany Mukhtar
28	DF	POR	Sílvio (on loan from Atlético Madrid)
30	MF	BRA	Talisca
33	DF	BRA	Jardel
34	MF	POR	André Almeida
37	DF	BRA	César
78	FW	POR	Gonçalo Guedes

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
3	DF	POR	Steven Vitória (at Philadelphia Union until 31 December 2015)
16	FW	POR	Nélson Oliveira (at Swansea City until 30 June 2015)
32	FW	POR	Tiago "Bebé" (at Córdoba until 30 June 2015)
42	DF	BRA	Luís Felipe (at Joinville until 31 December 2015)
50	MF	POR	Candeias (at Granada until 30 June 2015)
—	FW	POR	Ivan Cavaleiro (at Deportivo until 30 June 2015)
—	MF	BRA	Airton (at Botafogo until 30 June 2015)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	ARG	Rogelio Funes Mori (at Eskişehirspor until 30 June 2015)
—	MF	ARG	Luis Fariña (at Deportivo until 30 June 2015)
—	DF	POR	João Cancelo (at Valencia until 30 June 2015)
—	DF	BRA	Sidnei (at Deportivo until 30 June 2015)
—	FW	POR	Yannick Djaló (at Mordovia Saransk until 30 June 2015)
—	MF	SRB	Filip Đuričić (at Southampton until 30 June 2015)

Retired numbers

See also: Retired numbers in association football

No.	Player	Position	Benfica debut	Last match
29	Miklós Fehér	FW	24 August 2002	25 January 2004

On 27 January 2004, the club decided to retire the squad number 29 in memory of Miklós Fehér who died while playing for Benfica on 25 January 2004.

Personnel

Technical staff

See also: List of S.L. Benfica managers

Jorge Jesus is the current team manager

Position	Name
Head coach	Jorge Jesus
Assistant coach	Raúl José Miguel Quaresma Minervino Pietra
Goalkeeping coach	Hugo Oliveira
Fitness coach	Mário Monteiro
Benfica LAB coordinator	Bruno Mendes
Motivational consultant	Evandro Mota
Video analyst	Marco Pedroso
Director of football	Lourenço Coelho
B team coach	Hélder Cristóvão

Source: S.L. Benfica

Management

See also: List of S.L. Benfica presidents

Luís Filipe Vieira is the current president

Position	Name
President	Luís Filipe Vieira
Vice-president	Rui Cunha Rui Gomes da Silva Domingos Almeida Lima José Eduardo Moniz Nuno Gaioso João Varandas Fernandes Alcino António Sílvio Cérvan
President of general assembly	Luís Nazaré
President of fiscal board	Nuno Afonso Henriques

Source: S.L. Benfica

Other sports

See also: Pavilhão da Luz Nº 1 and Pavilhão da Luz Nº 2

Active sections

• Athletics
• Basketball
• Billiards
• Canoeing
• Futsal
• Handball
• Roller hockey
• Rugby union
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Volleyball

Extinct sections

• Archery
• Beach soccer
• Cycling

Media

Main articles: Benfica TV, O Benfica, and Mística

Benfica TV logo

Benfica TV is a sports television network created and operated by Benfica, which includes two premium channels available in high-definition. BTV1 live broadcasts Benfica home matches in Primeira Liga, Benfica B and Farense in Segunda Liga, youth department, and other sports, including the youth levels. BTV2 broadcasts live matches of Premier League, Major League Soccer and Greek Super League. It also airs the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Moreover, the club publishes the weekly newspaper O Benfica and the bimonthly magazine Mística.

Ownership

Members

The members of Benfica, called sócios, democratically elect the club president for a 4-year term by voting in each candidate list, forming the highest governing body of the club. They also participate in the general assemblies (if they are shareholders), submit proposals, take part in discussions, and so forth. They can be elected for the governing bodies, to be designated for positions or functions at the club, etc. Benfica was the first Portuguese club to have elections and the first club worldwide to use electronic voting, since 2003.

Finances

Sport Lisboa e Benfica S.A.D.

Traded as	Euronext: SLBEN
Revenue	€105,039,030 (2013–14)
Operating income	€33,526,913 (2013–14)
Net income	€14,165,000 (2013–14)
Total assets	€440,679,267 (2013–14)
Total equity	(€8,401,237) (2013–14)

Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Futebol, SAD (a public limited company) was created by João Vale e Azevedo on 10 February 2000 with an initial equity of €75 million. There were five major reasons for creating an autonomous entity to manage the professional football team:

• Participation in professional competitions, both domestic or international.
• Development of football players.
• Exploration of TV rights, both on closed or open channels.
• Management of image rights of the players.
• Exploitation of the Benfica brand by the professional football team.

Benfica SAD entered the PSI-20 on 21 May 2007 with an initial stock value of €5 on 15,000,001 shares. On 15 June 2007, Joe Berardo launched an initial public offering of Benfica SAD for €3.50 a share. On 23 December 2009, Benfica SAD, after a vote of its members, decided to increase the equity to €115 million by absorbing Benfica Estádio, SA. The initial equity of €75 million was by then completely lost, when the SAD was in balance sheet insolvency. This increase in equity means that 7,999,999 more shares are on the stock market. Benfica valued them at €5 each. They were admitted to the stock market on 14 June 2012. In Portugal, companies in the stock market index are obligated to provide information to their shareholders and CMVM and every semester a more detailed report is published. In 2009–10, Benfica SAD posted losses of €11.3 million, an improvement from the nearly €30 million loss in 2008–09. In 2010–11, Benfica continued in the red, posting losses of €7.6 million, even after the sale of David Luiz to Chelsea. In 2011–12, SAD posted losses of €11.7 million, after earning approximately €21 million from the Champions League and selling Fábio Coentrão and Roberto for approximately €38 million. In 2012–13, SAD posted losses of €10.3 million and generated a club record €51.5 million with the sales of Javi García and Axel Witsel for a total revenue of more than €145 million. On 31 July 2014, the SAD completed the acquisition of Benfica Stars Fund by spending around €28.9 million for 85%, purchasing the remaining economic rights of seven players in a total of nine, which belonged to the fund. In 2013–14, SAD posted profits of €14.1 million, the total revenue was of €185 million with expenses of €151 million, both a club record. It was the first record profit since 2006–07. The club has been praised for its transfer policy in recent years.

See also

• List of unrelegated association football clubs
• Deloitte Football Money League
• European Club Association

Further reading

• Correio da Manhã (2004). Benfica Centenarium 100 nomes 100 histórias [Centenarium Benfica 100 names 100 stories] (in Portuguese). Portugal: Heska Portuguesa, S.A. (published January 2004). ISBN 972-99026-1-5.

External links

• Official website Template:Pt icon Template:En icon Template:Es icon
• S.L. Benfica at LPFP Template:Pt icon
• S.L. Benfica at UEFA