Sport Lisboa e Benfica

[Covenant]

Also, Benfica is the club of the people, Sporting is mainly linked to that very "chic" part of the society, to some elitism, those persons with a lot of names, descending from the kings and so on

Historically, Benfica is linked to more humble people, is passion at its most natural. Sporting is more elitist. We use to make fun of their names, just like "he really has a Sporting fan's name".

Without being too political. How were Portuguese clubs treated under Salazar? Was it like in Spain under Franco where there was a favourite/disliked club? Or the equivalent of the monarchy/elites club?

I honestly don't know too much about Salazar, it doesn't get talked as much internationally compared to other European authoritarian figures. Is he viewed as widely despised now like Franco or do some people still admire him?

Benfica got the fame, the others got the rewards.

Porto and Sporting were the protected ones, even got public benefits (the Statue of Public Utility was given to them way before Benfica), they had people from the government leading the club and even Sporting was in the old version of Champions League because of the government, even though the champion was Benfica.

Salazar won the Greatest Portuguese contest, so... there's your answer.

When the stadiums got rebuilt as part of the Euros, do the clubs still own the stadiums or is it like in America where the city owns the stadium and major upkeep/maintenance?

Does the Estadio da Luz have a standing section? Are their ultra sections? Are they political and do they like each other?

I remember watching a Benfica Celtic game where the Eagle flew around the stadium. Do they do this every game or just big ones? They do similar for the Seattle Seahawks and it's really cool.

So Salazar is still well regarded in Portugal?

Benfica: Owned
Porto: Owned
Sporting: Owned
Vitória Guimarães: Owned
Braga: Town
Boavista: Owned
Aveiro: Town
Coimbra: Town
Leiria: Town
Algarve: TownNo safe standing yet. We have two "ultra" groups. No political stuff but they're not than fond of each other. The biggest one currently are "in the pocket" of the board.Every game the eagle flies around.For a small section of the country, yes.

Couple more questions-

Other than Eusebio, who is Benficas biggest legends?

Do Benfica have any famous fans (that would be known internationally)?

Is there any foreign clubs Benfica do not like? For example Celtic fans dislike Hamburg, Athletico Madrid and Rapid Vienna. The latter two due to incidents in European games.

How are Jorge Cadete and Pierre Van Hoojdonk viewed by Benfica fans?

They were some of my first heroes as a 7/8 year old and both were the beginning of Celtics rebirth after financial issues in the early 90s. I wouldn't say either are legends but definitely 'what could have been if they had stayed longer'. I think Cadete could have been a legend if he had stayed but he got greedy. He admits he regrets it. We may not have ended up with Larsson though who is a legend. I didn't really follow Cadete's career post Celtic but he was good at Celtic and Sporting. i heard he had a lot of problems post career though.

I will forget people, I'm sure:

Rogério Pipi from 1940/50's (best player from the 1st team who got european gold in Latin Cup)
José Águas from 1950/60's
Mário Coluna from 1950/60's (biggest captain in club history)
José Augusto from 1960/70's
António Simões from 1960/70's (youngest european champion in history)
Toni from 1960/70/80's (8 league titles as a player, 4 as an assistant coach, 2 as a manager)
Nené from 1960/70/80's (most matches as a Benfica player)
Humberto Coelho from 1960/70/80's
Sheu from 1970/80's (the person with more titles in the history of the club, I believe. 10 as a player and several more as a staff member)
Manuel Bento from 1970/80/90's (biggest GK in club history)
Fernando Chalana from 1970/80's
Carlos Mozer from 1980/90's (top brazilian center-back)
João Pinto from 1990/00's (the ray of light in the dark years)
Michel Preud'Homme from 1990's (if he had arrived a couple of years earlier...)
Simão Sabrosa from 2000's (our leader in the broken streak of 11 years without a title)
Luisão from 2000/10's (club captain and the foreigner with more matches in the history of the club)
Óscar Cardozo from 2000/10's (foreigner with most goals in Benfica's history)
Jonas from 2010's (the hero from the first string of 4 titles in a row in our history)Famous international Benfica fans? Mike Tyson, Novak Djokovic, Jordy Smith... I think Tom Hanks has spoken about it too.I don't think we have any international rivals. Maybe now Sevilla because of the way we're robbed in the Europa League final in 2014.Cadete is not well liked here.

Pierre was an amazing player. Unfortunately the follow up board after Vale e Azevedo sold him for peanuts because we didn't have money... after spending it on a brazilian flop named Roger.

Another Benfica legend: Rui Costa

I've always thought of him as a Milan player because of the era I grew up. That Milan team was special

Valdo and Ricardo. The first One still appears at the Estádio da Luz, the swedish trio with Magnusson, Thern and Schwarz who sometimes is seen at the Estádio da Luz too.

I remember Thern at Rangers. He didn't play too much due to injuries though

Here he was very good.

[Celticfan]

Just heard about the Bela Guttman curse. Do Benfica fans actually believe in it?

[Festivus]

Just heard about the Bela Guttman curse. Do Benfica fans actually believe in it?

Well, talk about opening the Pandora box.

That depends on the person. Personally, I don't. All he did was vent/blurt out something along the lines off "no portuguese team will win the European Cup twice in a row in 100 years again." when he got sacked. That's where the myth was born.

He sent a telegram before the 1963 final(the first of the several we'd lose in a row) wishing the team luck and said Benfica would win again and wouldn't need him to guide us to the victory.

I don't believe in curses or spiritual things. That's all bullshit. If it was that simple I could easily make up something to curse both Porto and Sporting to never win anything again. As if words had magical powers like that...

In nearly every single European final Benfica lost we were not favourites and the opponent was better. We faced off against the 60s Man Utd team, the 60s Inter and Milan teams that would end up winning 2 European Cups each that decade as well, the 80s PSV team that had 10 national team players or something back when Holland was the Clockwork Orange and the late 80s/AC Milan with Gullit and van Basten.

As for the UEFA Cup, it didn't exist yet when Bella Guttmann left the club in 1962, and its winner is not European champion, so there's no way it could apply to it. Why did we lose 3 finals? No idea about the Anderlecht one. Chelsea was a better team and we had lost the league in a last minute goal just a week before to Porto. Dreadful end to a season. Sevilla? We had like 4 starters injured, 1 unavaible due to getting booked and another one who got I jured early in the match. Plus the referee robbed us out of at least one penalty kick during the match as well. A very unlucky and frustrating final.

Juventus also have lost 7 CL finals and I believe 1 Cup Winners Cup or UEFA Cup final as well, but no one has "cursed" them afaik. So who knows if Benfica would have won any of the finals it lost had Bella Guttmann not said the words that gave birth to a myth.

[Notguilty]

Just heard about the Bela Guttman curse. Do Benfica fans actually believe in it?

No i dont believe it. 
There is no curse.. it was a missed translation carried over time by the same media that still call us "encarnados" instead of "vermelhos". Its more of a wishfull thought now and a  mantra for them than a true history.
I personally don't care,it adds up to the mythical club we are. 

[Faliro]

What's with the rainbow on your away kit?

[Covenant]

What's with the rainbow on your away kit?

With 5 stripes of different colors, representing the 5 continents, this shirt is a tribute to the millions of Benfica fans who, all over the world, never stop loving, accompanying and taking the name of the club further"

Yes, it's ugly.

[Faliro]

What's with the rainbow on your away kit?

With 5 stripes of different colors, representing the 5 continents, this shirt is a tribute to the millions of Benfica fans who, all over the world, never stop loving, accompanying and taking the name of the club further"

Yes, it's ugly.

Maybe a map of the world would have been better, no one I know sees a rainbow pattern and thinks of continents these days.

[Covenant]

What's with the rainbow on your away kit?

With 5 stripes of different colors, representing the 5 continents, this shirt is a tribute to the millions of Benfica fans who, all over the world, never stop loving, accompanying and taking the name of the club further"

Yes, it's ugly.

Maybe a map of the world would have been better, no one I know sees a rainbow pattern and thinks of continents these days.

Yap, it's ugly and... Stupid.😂

[Faliro]

Di Maria.

[Covenant]

Di Maria.

He os back. Happy that football won against money.

[Covenant]

Great weekend.😎

[Faliro]

Great weekend.😎

Surprised Sporting are doing so well. usually just you and Porto at the top.

[Covenant]

Great weekend.😎

Surprised Sporting are doing so well. usually just you and Porto at the top.

Gyökeres is the main factor.

[Faliro]

You guys ever had a similar phenomenon as the one below?

We have this defender Retsos. He is useless. Gets red cards, gives away penalties, misses headers and costs us many games. He was Olympiacos youth, went abroad, failed and then came back here. No matter how many mistakes he makes, the media never blame him and talk always about his potential and passion etc.

You ever had a similar situation?

[Covenant]

You guys ever had a similar phenomenon as the one below?

We have this defender Retsos. He is useless. Gets red cards, gives away penalties, misses headers and costs us many games. He was Olympiacos youth, went abroad, failed and then came back here. No matter how many mistakes he makes, the media never blame him and talk always about his potential and passion etc.

You ever had a similar situation?

André Almeida.