1960–61 S.L. Benfica season

Benfica
1960–61 season
President Maurício Vieira de Brito
Head coach Béla Guttmann
Stadium Estádio da Luz
Primeira Divisão 1st
Taça de Portugal Third round
European Cup Winners
Top goalscorer League: José Águas (27)
All: José Águas (43)
Home colours

The 1960–61 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 57th season in existence and the club's 27th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 August 1960 to 30 July 1961. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão and Taça de Portugal, and participated in the European Cup after winning the previous league.

After promising to win the European Cup the year before, Guttmann made almost no changes, only signing centre-back Germano. A dominant league campaign saw Benfica lap the first half with 12 wins in 13 games. A loss in January did not stop their momentum and they added five more wins in following weeks. On day 22, they drew with Sporting and a week later they sealed their second consecutive league title. José Águas scored a league best, 27 goals. Meanwhile, in Europe, Benfica defeat, Hearts, Újpesti Dózsa and AGF, on their way for semi-final with Rapid Wien. They won three-nil at home, and drew one-all in Vienna, qualifying for the European Cup Final, where they would meet favourites Barcelona. A 3–2 win secured their historic first European Cup.

Season summary

After Béla Guttmann led Benfica to the league title in 1959–60, he set his eyes on winning the European Cup, a promise he made when he first arrived at Benfica.[1] In his second year, he recruited Fernando Caiado as assistant, due to his connection with the players, and said to him: "Caiado, help me because I am going to make Benfica the European Champion".[2] He only made one signing for the first team, centre-back, Germano.[3] The season began on 27 August with a game against Barreirense.[4] After other matches, Benfica ended the pre-season with the Taça de Honra, which they finished third.[5][6] Despite the focus in Europe, Benfica domestic performance was dominant with 12 wins and one draw in the first half of the league. [7] At the same time, they eliminated Hearts in the preliminary round of the European Cup, and Újpesti Dózsa in the first round.[8] In the first leg, at home, Benfica build up a 5–0 lead in 28 minutes.[8] The second half of the league was less imposing, with Benfica conceding their first loss with Vitória de Guimarães.[9] This was followed by five consecutive wins.[7] In Europe, they had no difficulties in quarter-finals with the Danish AGF, beating them by 4–1 at their own home.[8] In April, Benfica wrapped up the league, after drawing with Sporting CP on match-day 22, keeping a five-point lead. A week later, they beat Braga by 7–1 and won the league with three match-days to go, a new club record.[7] José Águas was Bola de Prata for league top-scorer with 27 goals.[10]

The 1961 and '62 European Cup trophies on display at Museu Cosme Damião

With the league conquered, Benfica met Rapid Wien in semi-finals, beating them at home by 3–0.[7] In Vienna, the match was abandoned on the 88th minute, with the score on 1–1, after Rapid fans invaded the pitch.[11] Qualified for the European Cup Final, they would face favourites FC Barcelona, who had eliminated five-time winners and title-holders Real Madrid.[11] On 31 May 1961, Barcelona scored first, but Benfica levelled by José Águas after a cross from Cavém. In the next minute, José Neto set up a long ball for Santana, with Barcelona defender, Enric Gensana heading it backwards into his own goal.[12] In the second half, Cavém crossed another ball from the left, reaching Coluna, who waited at the front of the box, to score the 3–1. Barcelona brought it down to 3–2, but no more goals occurred with Benfica winning their first ever European Cup.[13] Benfica played the second leg of the third round of the Portuguese Cup the very next day, with all the team still in Vienna, because the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) would not postpone it.[14] Entirely composed of reserve players, it marked the debut of Eusébio after five months of legal battle for his signing.[14] He scored once, and Benfica lost 4–1.[14] The season final game was with Belenenses in which Benfica won, therefore ending the league with a four-point lead over Sporting and 13 over Porto.[14]

Competitions

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Overall record

Competition First match Last match Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win % Source
Primeira Divisão 18 September 1960 8 June 1961 26 22 2 2 92 21 +71 084.62 [15]
Taça de Portugal 29 January 1961 1 June 1961 6 5 0 1 26 9 +17 083.33 [15]
European Cup 29 September 1960 31 May 1961 9 7 1 1 26 10 +16 077.78 [15]
Total 41 34 3 4 144 40 +104 082.93

Primeira Divisão

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Benfica (C) 26 22 2 2 92 21+71 46 1961–62 European Cup Preliminary round
2 Sporting CP 26 19 4 3 61 19+42 42 1961–62 European Cup Preliminary round
3 Porto 26 14 5 7 51 28+23 33

Source: [16]
Rules for classification: 1st points, 2nd head-to-head, 3rd goals average
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results by round

Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526
GroundAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHA
ResultWWWWWDWWWWWWWWWLWWWWWDWLWW
Position61111111111111111111111111

Source: ForaDeJogo
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Taça de Portugal

First round

Second round

Third round

European Cup

Preliminary round

First round

Quarter-final

Semi-final

Final

Friendlies

[17]

Player statistics

The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member Béla Guttman (manager), Fernando Cabrita (assistant manager).[15][2][23][upper-alpha 1]

Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 1960-61 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.

No. Pos Nat Player TotalPrimeira DivisãoTaça de PortugalEuropean Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1 GK Portugal Costa Pereira 3602403090
1 GK Portugal José de Bastos 10001000
1 GK Portugal José Barroca 30201000
1 GK Portugal Armando Ramalho 10001000
2 DF Portugal Fernando Cruz 3812603190
2 DF Portugal Manuel Serra 1701103030
3 DF Portugal Mário João 70302020
3 DF Portugal Ângelo Martins 3302302080
4‡ DF Portugal Germano de Figueiredo 3432323180
4 DF Portugal Artur Santos 130804010
4 DF Portugal Sidónio Manhiça 30102000
4 DF Portugal Maximiano Salvador 10001000
4 DF Portugal Amândio Gonçalves 10001000
5 DF Portugal José Neto 3202201090
5 DF Portugal Manuel Pinto 60204000
5 DF Portugal Humberto Fernandes 20002000
6 MF Portugal Mário Coluna 3582442292
7 FW Portugal José Augusto 353125241097
7 MF Portugal António Saraiva 2201403050
7 MF Portugal Francisco Palmeiro 10001000
7 MF Portugal Peres 20101000
8 MF Portugal Álvaro Inácio 30102000
8 MF Portugal Domiciano Cavém 371724134292
9 FW Portugal José Águas 3343232715911
9 FW Portugal José Torres 511223900
10 FW Portugal Santana 311921151193
10‡ FW Portugal Eusébio 22111100
11 FW Portugal António Mendes 54332100
11‡ FW Portugal Jorge Lopes 51104100
11 FW Portugal António Moreira 50104000
11 FW Portugal Nartanga 10001000
11 FW Portugal Alfredo Espirito Santo 10001000

Transfers

[24]

In

Entry date Position Player From club Fee Ref
30 May May 1960 DF Germano de Figueiredo Atlético CP Undisclosed [3]
July 1960 FW Jorge Lopes Seixal Undisclosed
12 May 1961 FW Eusébio Sporting de Lourenço Marques Undisclosed [25]

Out

Exit date Position Player To club Fee Ref
July 1960 MF Zézinho Montijo Undisclosed [26]
July 1960 MF Alfredo Abrantes Belenenses Undisclosed
July 1960 MF Fernando Caiado None Retired [2]
July 1960 MF Vieira Dias Atlético CP Undisclosed [27]

Notes

  1. ↑ There were no fixed numbers assigned, and the positions used by the players may not have a modern equivalence, the tactic was closely matched for a 3–4–3

References

  1. ↑ Livro do Cinquentenário do Record - Volume 1 (First ed.). Portugal: Edições ASA. December 1999. p. 54.
  2. 1 2 3 Centenarium Benfica 100 Nomes 100 Histórias (in Portuguese). Portugal: Correio da Manhã. January 2004. p. 53. ISBN 972-99026-15.
  3. 1 2 "Confidências da gente do desporto" [Confessions of the people of football]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13460): 24. 30 May 1960. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Homenagem ao jogador Pinto" [Testimonial to Pinto]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13549): 1–16. 28 August 1960. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 "O Belenenses reapareceu em boa forma e venceu o Benfica por 5-0" [Belenenses appeared in good shape and defeated Benfica by 5-0]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13556): 16. 4 September 1960. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 "A vitória do Benfica só ocorreu aos 110 minutos" [Benfica's win only came on 110 minute]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13562): 1–16. 11 September 1960. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Miguéns 2005, p. 50.
  8. 1 2 3 Miguéns 2005, p. 20.
  9. ↑ Miguéns 2004, p. 50.
  10. ↑ Miguéns 2005, p. 51.
  11. 1 2 Miguéns 2005, p. 21.
  12. ↑ Miguéns 2005, p. 22.
  13. ↑ Miguéns 2005, p. 23.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Simões 2008, p. 50.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Tovar 2012, p. 293.
  16. ↑ Tovar 2012, p. 292.
  17. ↑ António Manuel Morais; Carlos Perdigão; João Loureiro; José de Oliveira Santos (1994). Benfica: 90 Anos de História (in Portuguese). SOGAPAL. p. 250.
  18. ↑ "Os novos do Benfica revelaram qualidades" [The new Benfica players showed some skills]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13550): 19. 29 August 1960. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  19. ↑ "Esperava-se mais e melhor" [We had hoped for a better match]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13554): 10. 2 September 1960. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  20. ↑ Melo, Afonso de (November 2007). 100 anos: 1907-2007, Benfica-Sporting x Sporting Benfica...pior do que inimigos, eram irmãos [100 years: 1907-2007, Benfica-Sporting x Sporting-Benfica...worst than enemies, they were friends] (in Portuguese). Portugal: PrimeBooks. p. 146. ISBN 978-989-8028-52-5.
  21. ↑ "O "campeão europeu" durou mais" [The "European champion" lasted longer]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13829): 20. 14 June 1961. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  22. ↑ "A invulgar classe dos brasileiros" [The unusual class of the Brazilians]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13831): 24. 16 June 1961. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  23. ↑ Miguéns 2005, p. 23-51.
  24. ↑ "Transfers in 1960-61". Finalball.com. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  25. ↑ Melo, Afonso de (March 2005). Viagem em redor do planeta Eusébio (Second ed.). Portugal: PrimeBooks. p. 38. ISBN 972-8820-49-6.
  26. ↑ "Faleceu Zézinho" [Zézinho has died]. SL Benfica (in Portuguese). 30 August 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  27. ↑ "Os jogos do torneio relâmpago" [The games of Angola Tournament]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (13904): 21. 28 August 1961. Retrieved 8 March 2017.

Bibliography

  • Tovar, Rui Miguel (2012). Almanaque do Benfica. Portugal: Lua de Papel. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.
  • Miguéns, Alberto (2005). 100 anos 100 troféus. Portugal: Prime Books. ISBN 972-8820-34-8.
  • Simões, António (2008). Equipamentos com história. 3. Portugal: A Bola. ISBN 972-99134-6-3.
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