Sport Lisboa e Benfica

[josel]

Question for a total newb but barring the 90% of people who support whatever their parents did, how do people in Lisbon or outsiders decide to support Benfica vs Sporting or vice versa? Is it class based, political or just one being more successful? I have an idea of it but not 100%.

When Portugal still had obligatory military service (was dismantled in the 00's, but I say this until late 70's/early 80's) people didn't already support a club or they wanted that club to win but didn't really bother about it that much.

Much of that military service was in Lisbon, so people came to Lisbon and started to support one of them(Benfica or Sporting). Since the late 50's Benfica was much more sucessful than Sporting so people from the countryside without a major club (excludes Porto, Guimarães, a bit of Braga but that's it) would be more attracted to support Benfica.
For instance, I'm a northener and my grandpa has been a Porto fan all his life (he is quite old and he went to see Porto in the stadium when he was young) but he went to Lisbon and gained affinity to Belenenses, for instance.

Another thing is that when cycling was a bit of a major/bigger sport in Portugal in the 30's/40's the bigger stars where from Benfica or Sporting, so when listening on the radio people would also choose who they wanted to win and gain affinity towards one or other.

But mainly, people are fans due to parents, but much of that support comes from those decades.

Enviado do meu Redmi 8 através do Tapatalk

[Celticfan]

What is most Benfica's fans opinions on Graeme Souness? He's loved at Rangers but despised by Celtic. He was a great player but his manager career has been pretty sketchy barring Rangers and a couple of other teams. I only just learned he sold Deco at Benfica.

I do like him as a pundit on sky tv along with Roy Keane.

[Cloughie]

Question for a total newb but barring the 90% of people who support whatever their parents did, how do people in Lisbon or outsiders decide to support Benfica vs Sporting or vice versa? Is it class based, political or just one being more successful? I have an idea of it but not 100%.

When Portugal still had obligatory military service (was dismantled in the 00's, but I say this until late 70's/early 80's) people didn't already support a club or they wanted that club to win but didn't really bother about it that much.

Much of that military service was in Lisbon, so people came to Lisbon and started to support one of them(Benfica or Sporting). Since the late 50's Benfica was much more sucessful than Sporting so people from the countryside without a major club (excludes Porto, Guimarães, a bit of Braga but that's it) would be more attracted to support Benfica.
For instance, I'm a northener and my grandpa has been a Porto fan all his life (he is quite old and he went to see Porto in the stadium when he was young) but he went to Lisbon and gained affinity to Belenenses, for instance.

Another thing is that when cycling was a bit of a major/bigger sport in Portugal in the 30's/40's the bigger stars where from Benfica or Sporting, so when listening on the radio people would also choose who they wanted to win and gain affinity towards one or other.

But mainly, people are fans due to parents, but much of that support comes from those decades.

Enviado do meu Redmi 8 através do Tapatalk

That's the biggest factor for Benfica and Sporting being clubs who have fans all around the country (Benfica way more than Sporting because of Sporting's 50 years with sparse titles) and why Porto is a club of Porto district and not much more than that (Porto were slow to go to Cycling and missed the boom).

Benfica vs Sporting in Volta a Portugal made both clubs national clubs.

What is most Benfica's fans opinions on Graeme Souness? He's loved at Rangers but despised by Celtic. He was a great player but his manager career has been pretty sketchy barring Rangers and a couple of other teams. I only just learned he sold Deco at Benfica.

I do like him as a pundit on sky tv along with Roy Keane.

He's not liked here.

He plot with a former president (who were arrested for stealing money of the club to pay his yatch, besides other stuff) in order to get rid of João Pinto, in time our biggest player. The avalanche of lack of quality players from British Islands were awful too.

[Celticfan]

Question for a total newb but barring the 90% of people who support whatever their parents did, how do people in Lisbon or outsiders decide to support Benfica vs Sporting or vice versa? Is it class based, political or just one being more successful? I have an idea of it but not 100%.

When Portugal still had obligatory military service (was dismantled in the 00's, but I say this until late 70's/early 80's) people didn't already support a club or they wanted that club to win but didn't really bother about it that much.

Much of that military service was in Lisbon, so people came to Lisbon and started to support one of them(Benfica or Sporting). Since the late 50's Benfica was much more sucessful than Sporting so people from the countryside without a major club (excludes Porto, Guimarães, a bit of Braga but that's it) would be more attracted to support Benfica.
For instance, I'm a northener and my grandpa has been a Porto fan all his life (he is quite old and he went to see Porto in the stadium when he was young) but he went to Lisbon and gained affinity to Belenenses, for instance.

Another thing is that when cycling was a bit of a major/bigger sport in Portugal in the 30's/40's the bigger stars where from Benfica or Sporting, so when listening on the radio people would also choose who they wanted to win and gain affinity towards one or other.

But mainly, people are fans due to parents, but much of that support comes from those decades.

Enviado do meu Redmi 8 através do Tapatalk

That's the biggest factor for Benfica and Sporting being clubs who have fans all around the country (Benfica way more than Sporting because of Sporting's 50 years with sparse titles) and why Porto is a club of Porto district and not much more than that (Porto were slow to go to Cycling and missed the boom).

Benfica vs Sporting in Volta a Portugal made both clubs national clubs.

What is most Benfica's fans opinions on Graeme Souness? He's loved at Rangers but despised by Celtic. He was a great player but his manager career has been pretty sketchy barring Rangers and a couple of other teams. I only just learned he sold Deco at Benfica.

I do like him as a pundit on sky tv along with Roy Keane.

He's not liked here.

He plot with a former president (who were arrested for stealing money of the club to pay his yatch, besides other stuff) in order to get rid of João Pinto, in time our biggest player. The avalanche of lack of quality players from British Islands were awful too.

Sounds like a lot of places he went. Have Benfica had many, if any British players?

The Souness era at Rangers is viewed as the start of the decline for Scottish football (not that it was his fault). He was the first manager there to sign foreign players in big quantities and Rangers threw a lot of money at them, taking advantage of English teams being banned from Europe to get quality. Other Scottish clubs started doing the same to try and keep up, in turn abandoning their youth systems in the early 90s and meaning their youth coaches were stuck with old school mind sets. He was still successful at Rangers though in the 90s and so was his successor Walter Smith as they won 9 titles in a row.

For all the money they spent though (Rangers were one of the biggest spenders in Britain in the late 80s till around 2000) and quality of player they signed they vastly underachieved in Europe.

[Cloughie]

Question for a total newb but barring the 90% of people who support whatever their parents did, how do people in Lisbon or outsiders decide to support Benfica vs Sporting or vice versa? Is it class based, political or just one being more successful? I have an idea of it but not 100%.

When Portugal still had obligatory military service (was dismantled in the 00's, but I say this until late 70's/early 80's) people didn't already support a club or they wanted that club to win but didn't really bother about it that much.

Much of that military service was in Lisbon, so people came to Lisbon and started to support one of them(Benfica or Sporting). Since the late 50's Benfica was much more sucessful than Sporting so people from the countryside without a major club (excludes Porto, Guimarães, a bit of Braga but that's it) would be more attracted to support Benfica.
For instance, I'm a northener and my grandpa has been a Porto fan all his life (he is quite old and he went to see Porto in the stadium when he was young) but he went to Lisbon and gained affinity to Belenenses, for instance.

Another thing is that when cycling was a bit of a major/bigger sport in Portugal in the 30's/40's the bigger stars where from Benfica or Sporting, so when listening on the radio people would also choose who they wanted to win and gain affinity towards one or other.

But mainly, people are fans due to parents, but much of that support comes from those decades.

Enviado do meu Redmi 8 através do Tapatalk

That's the biggest factor for Benfica and Sporting being clubs who have fans all around the country (Benfica way more than Sporting because of Sporting's 50 years with sparse titles) and why Porto is a club of Porto district and not much more than that (Porto were slow to go to Cycling and missed the boom).

Benfica vs Sporting in Volta a Portugal made both clubs national clubs.

What is most Benfica's fans opinions on Graeme Souness? He's loved at Rangers but despised by Celtic. He was a great player but his manager career has been pretty sketchy barring Rangers and a couple of other teams. I only just learned he sold Deco at Benfica.

I do like him as a pundit on sky tv along with Roy Keane.

He's not liked here.

He plot with a former president (who were arrested for stealing money of the club to pay his yatch, besides other stuff) in order to get rid of João Pinto, in time our biggest player. The avalanche of lack of quality players from British Islands were awful too.

Sounds like a lot of places he went. Have Benfica had many, if any British players?

The Souness era at Rangers is viewed as the start of the decline for Scottish football (not that it was his fault). He was the first manager there to sign foreign players in big quantities and Rangers threw a lot of money at them, taking advantage of English teams being banned from Europe to get quality. Other Scottish clubs started doing the same to try and keep up, in turn abandoning their youth systems in the early 90s and meaning their youth coaches were stuck with old school mind sets. He was still successful at Rangers though in the 90s and so was his successor Walter Smith as they won 9 titles in a row.

For all the money they spent though (Rangers were one of the biggest spenders in Britain in the late 80s till around 2000) and quality of player they signed they vastly underachieved in Europe.

On Souness years:

1997/1998: Scott Minto, Brian Deane
1998/1999: Gary Chales, Steve Harkness, Michael Thomas, Mark Pembridge, Dean Saunders

[SousaLB]

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".

[Celticfan]

Question for a total newb but barring the 90% of people who support whatever their parents did, how do people in Lisbon or outsiders decide to support Benfica vs Sporting or vice versa? Is it class based, political or just one being more successful? I have an idea of it but not 100%.

When Portugal still had obligatory military service (was dismantled in the 00's, but I say this until late 70's/early 80's) people didn't already support a club or they wanted that club to win but didn't really bother about it that much.

Much of that military service was in Lisbon, so people came to Lisbon and started to support one of them(Benfica or Sporting). Since the late 50's Benfica was much more sucessful than Sporting so people from the countryside without a major club (excludes Porto, Guimarães, a bit of Braga but that's it) would be more attracted to support Benfica.
For instance, I'm a northener and my grandpa has been a Porto fan all his life (he is quite old and he went to see Porto in the stadium when he was young) but he went to Lisbon and gained affinity to Belenenses, for instance.

Another thing is that when cycling was a bit of a major/bigger sport in Portugal in the 30's/40's the bigger stars where from Benfica or Sporting, so when listening on the radio people would also choose who they wanted to win and gain affinity towards one or other.

But mainly, people are fans due to parents, but much of that support comes from those decades.

Enviado do meu Redmi 8 através do Tapatalk

That's the biggest factor for Benfica and Sporting being clubs who have fans all around the country (Benfica way more than Sporting because of Sporting's 50 years with sparse titles) and why Porto is a club of Porto district and not much more than that (Porto were slow to go to Cycling and missed the boom).

Benfica vs Sporting in Volta a Portugal made both clubs national clubs.

What is most Benfica's fans opinions on Graeme Souness? He's loved at Rangers but despised by Celtic. He was a great player but his manager career has been pretty sketchy barring Rangers and a couple of other teams. I only just learned he sold Deco at Benfica.

I do like him as a pundit on sky tv along with Roy Keane.

He's not liked here.

He plot with a former president (who were arrested for stealing money of the club to pay his yatch, besides other stuff) in order to get rid of João Pinto, in time our biggest player. The avalanche of lack of quality players from British Islands were awful too.

Sounds like a lot of places he went. Have Benfica had many, if any British players?

The Souness era at Rangers is viewed as the start of the decline for Scottish football (not that it was his fault). He was the first manager there to sign foreign players in big quantities and Rangers threw a lot of money at them, taking advantage of English teams being banned from Europe to get quality. Other Scottish clubs started doing the same to try and keep up, in turn abandoning their youth systems in the early 90s and meaning their youth coaches were stuck with old school mind sets. He was still successful at Rangers though in the 90s and so was his successor Walter Smith as they won 9 titles in a row.

For all the money they spent though (Rangers were one of the biggest spenders in Britain in the late 80s till around 2000) and quality of player they signed they vastly underachieved in Europe.

On Souness years:

1997/1998: Scott Minto, Brian Deane
1998/1999: Gary Chales, Steve Harkness, Michael Thomas, Mark Pembridge, Dean Saunders

I've never heard of most of them apart from Saunders who must have been old by then. Brutal

[Celticfan]

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?

[Cloughie]

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.

[SousaLB]

Question for a total newb but barring the 90% of people who support whatever their parents did, how do people in Lisbon or outsiders decide to support Benfica vs Sporting or vice versa? Is it class based, political or just one being more successful? I have an idea of it but not 100%.

When Portugal still had obligatory military service (was dismantled in the 00's, but I say this until late 70's/early 80's) people didn't already support a club or they wanted that club to win but didn't really bother about it that much.

Much of that military service was in Lisbon, so people came to Lisbon and started to support one of them(Benfica or Sporting). Since the late 50's Benfica was much more sucessful than Sporting so people from the countryside without a major club (excludes Porto, Guimarães, a bit of Braga but that's it) would be more attracted to support Benfica.
For instance, I'm a northener and my grandpa has been a Porto fan all his life (he is quite old and he went to see Porto in the stadium when he was young) but he went to Lisbon and gained affinity to Belenenses, for instance.

Another thing is that when cycling was a bit of a major/bigger sport in Portugal in the 30's/40's the bigger stars where from Benfica or Sporting, so when listening on the radio people would also choose who they wanted to win and gain affinity towards one or other.

But mainly, people are fans due to parents, but much of that support comes from those decades.

Enviado do meu Redmi 8 através do Tapatalk

That's the biggest factor for Benfica and Sporting being clubs who have fans all around the country (Benfica way more than Sporting because of Sporting's 50 years with sparse titles) and why Porto is a club of Porto district and not much more than that (Porto were slow to go to Cycling and missed the boom).

Benfica vs Sporting in Volta a Portugal made both clubs national clubs.

What is most Benfica's fans opinions on Graeme Souness? He's loved at Rangers but despised by Celtic. He was a great player but his manager career has been pretty sketchy barring Rangers and a couple of other teams. I only just learned he sold Deco at Benfica.

I do like him as a pundit on sky tv along with Roy Keane.

He's not liked here.

He plot with a former president (who were arrested for stealing money of the club to pay his yatch, besides other stuff) in order to get rid of João Pinto, in time our biggest player. The avalanche of lack of quality players from British Islands were awful too.

Sounds like a lot of places he went. Have Benfica had many, if any British players?

The Souness era at Rangers is viewed as the start of the decline for Scottish football (not that it was his fault). He was the first manager there to sign foreign players in big quantities and Rangers threw a lot of money at them, taking advantage of English teams being banned from Europe to get quality. Other Scottish clubs started doing the same to try and keep up, in turn abandoning their youth systems in the early 90s and meaning their youth coaches were stuck with old school mind sets. He was still successful at Rangers though in the 90s and so was his successor Walter Smith as they won 9 titles in a row.

For all the money they spent though (Rangers were one of the biggest spenders in Britain in the late 80s till around 2000) and quality of player they signed they vastly underachieved in Europe.

On Souness years:

1997/1998: Scott Minto, Brian Deane
1998/1999: Gary Chales, Steve Harkness, Michael Thomas, Mark Pembridge, Dean Saunders

I've never heard of most of them apart from Saunders who must have been old by then. Brutal

Minto and Deane were good players, even if Deane was already 31/32 yo.

Pembridge and Saunders were decent (Saunders was already 34 - I believe he was a good striker when he was younger). Charles was not that good, but I think it was not completely useless. But Harkness and Thomas were really really bad.

[Celticfan]

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?

[Cloughie]

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.

[Celticfan]

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.

[josel]

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.

Sorry to jump in like this.

But I'll try to answer.

1) After Eusébio, I think it would be Coluna, "o Monstro Sagrado" - "The Sacred Monster" and Toni, aka, Mr. Benfica and Cosme Damião, the most known of the club founders. Coluna is probably the most complete portuguese player of all time, if I may say so.

Benfica don't really have big legends, we have 3/4 people from all time that are really well regarded and put above anyone else, then you just have lots of iconic figures.
Chalana, Nené, Mozer, Simões, Torres, José Águas (perhaps his son aswell), João Alves, Francisco Ferreira, Ângelo, Bento, Preud'homme, Costa Pereira (yes, went on a goalkeeper spree), António Veloso (Miguel's father), João Vieira Pinto, and more recently I only consider Jonas and Simão Sabrosa on that tier.

Edit: I would also say people like Diamantino, forgot previously Humberto Coelho, Rogério Pipi, Shéu and many others for sure. It would be easier to go on by decade starting on the 40's.
On the other sports, I think it would be safe to say that Carlos Lisboa is probably the biggest Benfica legend.

2) Don't think so. I would say Novak Djokovic.

3) I don't think we really have an international rival. At least in the sense of hating them. But we respect, and feel respected, by Man. United, Barcelona, Real Madrid. I would say these 3 are the teams every Benfica fan wants to face in the Champions and win.

Funnily enough there is a friendship with Torino and Hajduk Split, unfortunately due to tragedy.

4) Pierre was an absolute star in Benfica and is very well regarded. Cadete I don't really have an opinion and can have a mixed bag of opinions, but my father really liked him and still speaks very well of him.

[Cloughie]

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.