1996–97 S.L. Benfica season

Benfica
1996–97 season
President Manuel Damásio
Head coach Paulo Autuori
(until 19 January 1997)
Mário Wilson
(interin until 26 January 1997)
Manuel José
Stadium Estádio da Luz
Primeira Divisão 3rd
Taça de Portugal Runners-up
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira Runners-up
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Quarter-finals
Top goalscorer League:
Donizete (7)
All:
João Pinto (16)
Highest home attendance 75,000 vs Porto
(11 January 1997)
Lowest home attendance 3,000 vs Leça
(18 May 1997)
Home colours
Away colours

The 1996–97 European football season was the 93rd season of Sport Lisboa e Benfica's existence and the club's 63rd consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. The season ran from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997; Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal. The club also participated in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup as a result of winning the previous Taça de Portugal.

To manage the team in the new season, Benfica appointed Paulo Autuori. The Brazilian had just won the Brasileirão with Botafogo and was working in the background with the club since January 1996. He signed Jamir and Donizete from Botafogo, plus others like Jorge Bermúdez or Ronaldo Guiaro. Major departures included Ricardo Gomes, Paulo Bento and Daniel Kenedy.

The season started with different outcomes in the different competitions. While in the Primeira Divisão, Benfica reached the first place by September; in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, the panorama was the opposite, with Benfica conceding a five-nil home loss with FC Porto. Until January, Autuori led the team through the first and second round of the Cup Winner's Cup, and battled with Sporting over the second place.

In January, the league campaign took a turn for the worse, Benfica lost twice in a row and Autuori was sacked. Mário Wilson was interin in one game (another loss); before the permanent appointment of Manuel José. With José, Benfica performance in the Primeira Divisão became much more irregular. Consecutive wins and consecutive losses were followed by intercalating wins and draws. In May and June Benfica, lost four times in five match-days, and hit new record lows, both in number of losses and points to league winner. In the domestic cup, José led them to their second final in a row, but lost it to Boavista.

Season summary

In the wake of a Cup-winning campaign, Benfica opened the new season by appointing a new manager, Paulo Autuori, who had been working with the club for past six months.[1] The Brazilian manager had just finished the 1995 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, where he led Botafogo to their second league title in history. From his former club, he brought in Jamir and Donizete, plus directly recommended the purchase of Bermúdez.[1][2]

The season began with the first leg of the 1996 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira against FC Porto, bringing a one-goal deficit back.[3] A week later; on the opening game of the Primeira Liga, Benfica drops two points against S.C. Braga in a home draw.[4] Still, with two convincing wins in early September, Benfica reached top of the table, together with four other teams. With the second leg of the Supercup next, Benfica received Porto on 18 September. However, the contend quickly became an unbalanced one, with Porto scoring five goals to none, as Preud'Homme prevented an even darker outcome[5][2] The team was not disturbed by this defeat, and continued racking up consecutive league wins, even achieving a two-point lead over the second place; while the results in Europe were looking accordingly.[4]

"It is the first year of the longest title drought ever. Three managers pass through the bench to use 34 players and put Benfica in an unpleasant third place, with ten losses and at 27 points from the first (both club records). It starts badly with Paulo Autuori, and the loss of the Supercup, were the fans witness a consistent performance from Porto. The grief increased in January, with three straight losses, which did not happened in 40 years – Lusitano de Èvora, Belenenses and Sporting in October/November of 1957. Autuori is sacked and succeeded by Mário Wilson. A game later, Wilson relinquishes his place in favour of Manuel José, who succeeds in taking the team to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and to the Portuguese Cup final. In between, new embarrassment caused by three straight losses, curiously enough, caused by the same teams of the previous series."

— Rui Miguel Tovar on the season events[2]

In late October, Benfica visited Sporting for the Derby de Lisboa, losing one-nil and dropping down one position. A week later, with a further two more points dropped, Porto opened a three-point gap at the front.[6] By the time the Clássico arrived, the distance was already five points. Losing 1–2 to Porto, increased it to eight.[6] Affected by the defeat, Benfica lost for a second time on a row, with the priority changing from battling Porto in the title race, to defending the second place from Sporting. Autuori was sacked immediately, and Mário Wilson was appointed interim for one game.[2][7] The move did not have any effect on the team sharpness, as Benfica lost for a third in a row for the first time since 1957–58.[2] The club lapped the first round of the league already one point behind their cross-town rivals Sporting, and fourteen from Porto. Manuel José was chosen was new manager on 26 January. The 50-year-old had managed Sporting and Boavista before with mild success, and was tasked with saving the season.

José's first game was a difficult visit to Braga; Benfica equalized one-nil and brought a point home, but lost two for Sporting.[8] With the league race resolved, Benfica focused on the Portuguese Cup, progressing to the sixth round after defeating C.S. Marítimo.[9] March was a particularly difficult month, as the team dropped eight points in just three match-days, being in danger of losing third place fourth place.[8] In the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Benfica ended its European campaign, after not being able to revert a 2–0 home loss against Rui Costa's Fiorentina, despite a marginal win in Florence.[3]

In April, the team gained some distance to the fourth place, S.C. Salgueiros, allowing them to focus on the Portuguese Cup.[10] With the advantage of receiving smaller teams at home in the knock-out stages, Benfica progressed to the semi-finals after beating Dragões Sandinenses in the quarter-final, meeting Porto next. On the last day of April, the club defeated Porto by two-nil with goals from Valdir and Edgar Pacheco, reaching a second consecutive Portuguese Cup final, where they enter as title-holders.[9] On the league campaign, Benfica track record on the final six league match-days, was four losses, a win and a draw, losing fifteen more points, ending the season a record-breaking twenty-seven points from Porto, fourteen from Sporting.[2] On 10 June, in the 1997 Taça de Portugal Final, Benfica was surprised by Boavista, with a two-nil at the half-hour, they could not recover, giving Boavista their fifth national cup.[9]

Competitions

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Overall record

Competition First match Last match Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win % Source
Primeira Divisão 25 August 1996 15 June 1997 34 17 7 10 49 30 +19 050.00 [11]
Taça de Portugal 8 December 1996 10 June 1997 6 5 0 1 17 8 +9 083.33 [11]
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 12 September 1996 20 March 1997 6 4 1 1 10 5 +5 066.67 [11]
Supertaça 18 August 1996 18 September 1996 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6 000.00 [11]
Total 48 26 8 14 76 49 +27 054.17

Supertaça

Primeira Divisão

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Porto (C) 34 27 4 3 80 24 +56 85 1997–98 UEFA Champions League Group stage
2 Sporting CP 34 22 6 6 55 19 +36 72 1997–98 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
3 Benfica 34 17 7 10 49 30 +19 58 1997–98 UEFA Cup First round

Results by round

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
ResultDWWWWWWLDWWWDWLLLDWWWLLDWDWWDLWLLL
Position12311111222222222333333333333333333

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

Matches

Taça de Portugal

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

First round

Second round

Quarter-finals

Friendlies

Player statistics

The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member Paulo Autuori (manager), Mário Wilson (manager) and Manuel José (manager).[15][11]

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 1996-97 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.

No. Pos Nat Player TotalPrimeira DivisãoTaça de PortugalSupertaçaUEFA Cup Winners' Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1 GK Belgium Michel Preud'homme 47-4834-305-72-66-5
2‡ DF Morocco Tahar El Khalej 381251601060
3‡ DF Portugal Jorge Soares 282202600020
4 DF Portugal Hélder Cristóvão 153103002030
4‡ DF Brazil Ronaldo Guiaro 4030100000
5‡ DF Colombia Jorge Bermúdez 382271312060
6‡ MF Brazil Jamir Gomes 212121102061
8 MF Portugal João Vieira Pinto 4216287662063
9 FW Morocco Hassan Nader 13171101040
10 MF Brazil Valdo Filho 439305622052
11 MF Romania Basarab Panduru 284192211061
12 GK Portugal Fernando Brassard 1-1001-10000
13 DF Portugal Dimas Teixeira 13080002030
13‡ MF Portugal Tiago Pereira 220190300000
14 DF Portugal Marinho 211150410020
15 MF Angola Paulão 7050000020
16‡ MF Brazil Luís Gustavo 142102102010
17 DF Portugal Pedro Henriques 261211300020
18 FW Argentina Mauro Airez 170120300020
19 MF Portugal Bruno Caires 262182202040
20 MF Bulgaria Ilian Iliev 283213201040
21‡ FW Brazil Valdir 135103320000
21‡ FW Brazil Donizete 229167102032
22 MF Portugal José Calado 351240512040
23 MF Portugal Edgar Pacheco 236154510031
24 FW Angola Akwá 4030100000
25‡ FW Sweden Martin Pringle 174153210000
27 DF Portugal Nélson Veríssimo 1010000000
28‡ DF Morocco Abdelkrim El Hadrioui 8050200010
29‡ MF Netherlands Glenn Helder 131111100010
30‡ MF Brazil Amaral 240190500000
34 MF Portugal Hugo Leal 2020000000
35‡ DF Bulgaria Lúcio Wagner 3020100000
37‡ DF Portugal Nélson Morais 1010000000

Transfers

[16]

In

Entry date Position Player From club
July 1996 CB Jorge Soares Farense
July 1996 CB Tahar El Khalej União Leiria
July 1996 CB Jorge Bermúdez América de Cali
July 1996 CM Tiago Pereira Marítimo
July 1996 ST Donizete Verdy Kawasaki
July 1996 CM Luís Gustavo Marítimo
July 1996 ST Martin Pringle Helsingborgs
July 1996 CB Ronaldo Guiaro Atlético Mineiro
July 1996 DM Jamir Gomes Botafogo
January 1997 LB Abdelkrim El Hadrioui AS.FAR

In by loan

Entry date Position Player From club Return date
December 1996 LW Glenn Helder Arsenal 30 June 1997
January 1997 DM Amaral Parma 30 June 1997
March 1997 LB Lúcio Wagner Corinthians Alagoano 30 June 1997
March 1997 ST Valdir Atlético Mineiro 30 June 1997
March 1997 FB Nélson Morais Alverca 30 June 1997

Out

Exit date Position Player To club
July 1996 CB Ricardo Gomes Retired
July 1996 GK José Veiga Alverca
July 1996 LB Paulo Pereira Genoa
July 1996 CB King Farense
July 1996 DM Paulo Bento Oviedo
July 1996 LB Daniel Kenedy Paris Saint-Germain
July 1996 FW Luiz Gustavo Internacional
July 1996 ST Marcelo Deportivo Alavés
January 1997 LB Dimas Juventus
January 1997 CB Hélder Deportivo
January 1997 ST Donizete Corinthians

Out by loan

Exit date Position Player To club Return date
July 1996 CM Maniche Alverca 30 June 1997
July 1996 CB Paredão Alverca 30 June 1997

References

  1. 1 2 "100 anos: Paulo Autuori". Record (in Portuguese). 26 May 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tovar 2012, p. 548.
  3. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 554.
  4. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 549.
  5. ↑ "Supertaça: "Marquei ao grande PreudHomme", recorda Arnold Wetl" [Supercup: "I scored to the great PreudHomme" remembers Arnold Wetl]. Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). 4 August 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  6. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 550.
  7. ↑ "Mário Wilson". Glórias do Passado (in Portuguese). 30 October 2008.
  8. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 551.
  9. 1 2 3 Tovar 2012, p. 553.
  10. ↑ Tovar 2012, p. 552.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Tovar 2012, p. 555.
  12. 1 2 Erik Garin (12 December 2008). "Memorial Mario Cecchi Gori (Firenze)". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  13. ↑ Alberto Miguéns (21 November 2011). "Que Benfica Em Inglaterra". Em Defesa do Benfica. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "El Madrid se pasea" [Madrid on vacation]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish): 46. 28 August 1996. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "Sport Lisboa e Benfica Squad 1996-97". Thefinalball.com.
  16. ↑ "Transfers". Thefinalball.com. Retrieved 22 March 2017.

Bibliography

  • Tovar, Rui Miguel (2012). Almanaque do Benfica [Benfica Almanac]. Portugal: Lua de Papel. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.
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