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S.L. Benfica

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"Benfica" redirects here. For other uses, see Benfica (disambiguation).

S.L. Benfica

Image:SL Benfica logo.svg

Full name

Sport Lisboa e Benfica

Nickname(s)

As Águias (The Eagles)
O Glorioso (The Glorious One)
Encarnados (The Reds)
Os Diabos Vermelhos (The Red Devils)

Founded

1904

Ground

Estádio da Luz,
Lisbon, Portugal

Capacity

65,647

Chairman

Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Luis Filipe Vieira

Manager

Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Fernando Santos

League

BWINLIGA

2005-06

Liga, 3rd





Home colours





Away colours

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (commonly referred to as simply Benfica, S.L. Benfica and in many fan anthems as SLB; pron. IPA [spɔɾ liʒ'boɐ i bɐ̃ĩ'fikɐ]) is an eclectic multisports club based in Lisbon, Portugal, best known for its football team.

The club was formed as a result of a merger in 1908 between Sport Lisboa, founded in 1904, and Grupo Sport Benfica. Also known to its fans by the nickname "Glorioso" (Glorious One), Benfica is, along with Sporting Clube de Portugal and F.C. Porto, one of the "big three" clubs in Portugal.

As a club oriented to multiple sports, Benfica fields teams in basketball, rink hockey, futsal, volleyball, handball, rugby, cycling, athletics, and others. In total, Benfica have won several international titles in these sports, namely: the rink hockey CERS Cup in 1991, three Iberian Cups, one Torneio Ibérico in rugby, and five athletics European Cups.

Sport Lisboa e Benfica has the biggest fan base among Portuguese clubs, having also the biggest number of supporters outside of Portugal^{[citation needed]}. Almost every municipality of Portugal has its own Casa do Benfica (House of Benfica), which can also be found in many cities and towns of countries worldwide (Andorra, Angola, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, England, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Luxembourg, Macao, South Africa, Switzerland, and United States)[1]. It is also the biggest club in the world in number of associates (registered paying supporters), with a current (November 2006) number of 160,392, a fact which was attested by the Guinness Book of Records on 10th November 2006 [2] [3][4].

1 Other sports
2 External links

[edit] Other sports

[edit] Athletics

Athletics is a sport with a great tradition in Benfica's history. Nowadays, Carlos Calado specialised in the long jump, is among Benfica's athletics biggest names.

[edit] Basketball

Main article: SL Benfica (basketball)

S.L. Benfica are a top club in Portugal. One of its most memorable moments was when Benfica's basketball team won an European Cup clash against Italian giants Buckler Bologna, beating the Italians 102-90, in 4 December 1993 at Pavilhão da Luz in Lisbon. However, due to Portugal's popularity in football, basketball is not nearly as popular with the population as football. Just as in football, Benfica has a major rivalry with F.C. Porto's basketball team and it usually leads to arguments between the fans and players. S.L. Benfica have won in his basketball history 20 Portuguese championships, 18 Portuguese cups, 5 League Cups and 7 Portuguese Supercups and are currently one of the best teams in the league.

[edit] Billiards

The club has a billiards department whose players compete in the main national and international competitions.

[edit] Cycling

Cycling was the second modality established within the club, and along with football, is one of only two sports referenced in the club logo. The sport was in activity from 1906 to 1941, 1947 to 1978, and once again for two seasons in 1999 and 2000. Benfica last won the Volta a Portugal in 1999, with Spanish cyclist David Plaza capturing the leader's yellow jersey. Historically, the club has had great national successes in cycling, and after some interruptions and delays, approved in 2006 the re-introduction of a cycling department to start in 2007. The team will join the UCI Professional Continental Division.

The Head of this department is the former cyclist Orlando Rodrigues.

[edit] 2007 Elite team

[edit] 2007 Under-23 team

[edit] Futsal

Main article: SL Benfica (futsal)

Benfica have a professional futsal team since 2002. Since then Benfica won 2 Portuguese championships, 2 Portuguese cups and two Portuguese Supercups. Benfica also reached the final of the UEFA Cup in the 2003/04 season. Benfica's last trophy in Futsal was their second Portuguese Supercup against their all-time rivals, Sporting Clube de Portugal, after having lost to them the Championship and the Portuguese Cup.

[edit] Gymnastics

The club has a gymnastics department.

[edit] Handball

Main article: SL Benfica (handball)

The Handball honours of Benfica include 6 Portuguese championships, 3 Portuguese cups and 3 Portuguese supercups. The club dominated Portuguese handball in the 80's, but since 1994 Benfica have won nothing in this sport. In fact, this section had been inactive between 1997 and 2004.

[edit] Rink hockey

Main article: SL Benfica (rink hockey)

S.L. Benfica is the club in the world who practice this sport for the longest time without interruptions. The team are currently playing in the Primeira Divisão (First Division). The club has won many domestic competitions (20 Portuguese championships, 11 Portuguese Cups and 6 Portuguese Supercups), and European competitions (1 CERS Cup). The club's rink hockey team is considered one of the best in Portugal alongside rivals F.C. Porto and Óquei Clube de Barcelos rink hockey teams.

[edit] Rugby

Benfica have won many Portuguese championships in this sport, with Associação Académica de Coimbra, C.D.U.P., G.D. Direito and C.F. Os Belenenses being other powerful competitors. Benfica have also won the Iberian Cup against R.C.D. Espanyol, a team from Barcelona, Spain.

[edit] Swimming

S.L. Benfica's swimming department is among the best in Portugal.

[edit] Table tennis

The club has a table tennis department.

[edit] Triathlon

World champion Vanessa Fernandes in women's triathlon is currently the most notable athlete of this department.

[edit] Volleyball

Main article: SL Benfica(volleyball)

Benfica have an important history in the Portuguese volleyball. The club won 3 Portuguese championships (the last one in 2004/05) and 10 Portuguese cups.

[edit] Water polo

Benfica's Waterpolo only appeared in a few years and as no relevance in Portuguese waterpolo as they have only waterpolo school, for children, and no Senior team.