Eusébio Cup
38°45′13″N 9°10′57.5″W / 38.75361°N 9.182639°W
 Eusébio Cup logo | |
| Organising body | Benfica |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Current champions |  Lyon (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) |  Benfica (3 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | Benfica TV |
The Eusébio Cup was a pre-season friendly football match hosted by Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. It was played mostly at their home stadium, Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, with the only exceptions being the 2015 and 2018 editions. The two-team competition was inaugurated in 2008 and was named after Portuguese international and former Benfica player Eusébio,[1][2] who presented the trophy to the winning team until 2013, before his death in January 2014.
The invitational match was played in late July and early August, and Benfica opponents were Inter Milan, A.C. Milan, Tottenham, Arsenal, Real Madrid, São Paulo, Ajax, Monterrey (at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer), Torino, and Lyon (at the Estádio Algarve), respectively.
It was played annually and without interruption until 2016. Despite two tries,[3][4] there was no edition in 2017. A year later, the Eusébio Cup was played as part of the 2018 International Champions Cup, and after that, it was not played anymore.
Trophy
The Eusébio Cup trophy is made out of glass and bears the name of the match and its winners. Moreover, it features a figure of Eusébio, on the top, performing his trademark shooting technique. The figure is similar to Eusébio's statue outside Estádio da Luz. The trophy is symbolic because it is dedicated to Eusébio, who is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, and Benfica's greatest.
Broadcasters
The Eusébio Cup editions of 2008, 2009 and 2010 were broadcast on SIC, the 2011 edition on TVI,[5] the 2012 edition on RTP1,[6] and the 2013 edition on Benfica's own channel, Benfica TV, which then broadcast the next three editions.
Matches
2008
| Benfica | 0–0 |  Inter Milan |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| 4–5 | ||
2009
2010
| Benfica | 0–1 |  Tottenham Hotspur |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bale  55' |
2011
2012
2013
| Benfica | 0–2 |  São Paulo |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Aloísio 53' Rafael Tolói 63' |
2014
2015
2016
2018
Performance by team
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Year(s) won | Year(s) runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benfica
|
3 | 7 | 2009, 2011, 2012 | 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 |
| Inter Milan
|
1 | — | 2008 | — |
| Tottenham Hotspur
|
1 | — | 2010 | — |
| São Paulo
|
1 | — | 2013 | — |
 Ajax
|
1 | — | 2014 | — |
 Monterrey
|
1 | — | 2015 | — |
| Torino
|
1 | — | 2016 | — |
| Lyon
|
1 | — | 2018 | — |
| Milan
|
— | 1 | — | 2009 |
| Arsenal
|
— | 1 | — | 2011 |
 Real Madrid
|
— | 1 | — | 2012 |
References
- ^ "Planet Benfica: Eusébio Cup 2008". Planet Benfica. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ Mira, Luís (7 August 2008). "Eusébio Cup Preview: SL Benfica – AC Milan". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "CBF "inviabiliza" Chapecoense" [CBF make Chapecoense "infeasible"]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "ESE assumes responsibility in the Eusébio Cup". S.L. Benfica. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ Lourenço, Tiago (4 August 2011). "TVI transmite Eusébio Cup" [TVI broadcasts Eusébio Cup]. Propagandista Social (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "Eusébio Cup: SL Benfica x Real Madrid". RTP Desporto (in Portuguese). July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
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