SL Benfica
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Template:Football club infobox Sport Lisboa e Benfica (commonly referred to as simply SL Benfica, Benfica or Benfica Lisbon) is a football club based in Lisbon, Portugal. Benfica was founded in 1904 as Sport Lisboa, but underwent a name change in 1908 after merging with Sport Club de Benfica. It is also known to its fans simply as "Glorioso".
Benfica was one of Europe's first powerhouses, and was the first team to break Real Madrid's dominance in the early European Champions Cup. Having won two European Cups in a row (1961 and 1962), the Lisbon club never managed to win a European trophy again, despite losing several ECC finals to A.C. Milan (1963 and 1989), Internazionale (1965), Manchester United (1968) and PSV (1988), plus a UEFA Cup in 1982 (Anderlecht). In 1968, it was considered the best European Team by France Football. Many of its successes in the 1960s were with all-time football great Eusébio in the side.
During the 1970s, the team faded slightly from the European scene, but remained the main force inside the Portuguese football scene. However, financial problems began undermining the club. In the 1980s the board decided to close the third level in the Estádio da Luz, and a questionable signing policy (which included squads composed of well over 30 players, signing players for hefty sums without any sporting or financial return, and signing fading Portuguese star Futre in the early 1990s), resulted in several problems in the years ahead.
Recently, the club has managed to regain some of its sporting and financial prowess and has won the 2004/05 Superliga, a victory which set off countrywide celebrations.
Benfica play their home games in the new Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (unofficially "Estádio da Luz", literally the stadium of light , also called "A Catedral" meaning the cathedral) - which is partly built on top of the old stadium grounds -, one of Europe's largest sporting stadiums and host of the Euro 2004 final. They are Portugal's internal most decorated football team, having won 31 domestic league titles, 24 Portuguese Cups, and the second most decorated Portuguese team abroad having two European Cups. It is the most popular and supported sports club in Portugal (which once led to then president Manuel Vilarinho, claim "six millions", which is statistically unlikely given the ten million population of the country) and in the portuguese comunities spread around the world.
It is said to be the only Club in the world whose official anthem is sung by a tenor (Luis Picarra), and a musician/maestro (Antonio Vitorino d'Almeida) has recently written a symphony to commemorate the club's first 100 years.
As a multiple sports-oriented club, Benfica also field teams in basketball, roller hockey, indoor football (futsal), volleyball, handball, water polo, rugby and an athletics team. In total, Benfica have 12 international titles: 2 in football (two European Cups - 60/61 and 61/62); one in roller hockey (CERS Cup - 90/91); 4 in rugby (3 Iberian Cup + 1 Torneio Ibérico) and 5 in athletics (Athletics European Cup).
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Symbols
The color red has a strong association with the team.
The emblem comprises the following items:
- A shield with the team colors red and white.
- In the middle the acronym SLB for Sport Lisboa e Benfica, above a soccer ball, the main club activity
- Behind a bicycle wheel, original taken from Sport Club de Benfica (one of the founding clubs)
- The eagle, club's most important and well-known symbol
- E Pluribus Unum, the club motto all in one
SL Benfica's major rivals are FC Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal. These two clubs together have nearly the same number of national football titles as Benfica .
Current Football Squad (2005/06 season)
This is the full squad for the 2005/2006 season.
Team honours
In terms of league championships (called Primeira Liga or Superliga), the club is the most successful in Portuguese football.
- Portuguese National Championships (a.k.a. I Divisão or I Liga): 31
- 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.
- Portuguese Cups: 24
- 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.
- Portuguese Supercups: 4
- 1979/80, 1984/85, 1988/89, 2004/2005.
- Portuguese Championships (between 1921/22 and 1937/38): 3
- 1929/30, 1930/31, 1934/35.
- European Cups: 2
- 1960/61, 1961/62.
Famous players
External link
- UNOFFICIAL - SL Benfica Website
- UNOFFICIAL - SL Benfica Website in English
- UNOFFICIAL - SL Benfica Website in German
- All Football results since 1906/07
- SL Benfica Supporters:
- SL Benfica Humor Page:
Template:Champions League 2005/06 Template:Football in Portugalcs:SL Benfica de:Benfica Lissabon fr:Benfica Lisbonne he:בנפיקה ליסבון nl:SL Benfica ja:ベンフィカ pt:Sport Lisboa e Benfica sl:Benfica fi:SL Benfica sv:SL Benfica
