The 1961–62 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 58th season in existence and the club's 28th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 August 1961 to 31 July 1962. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão and Taça de Portugal, and participated in the European Cup after winning the competition in the previous season. As the reigning European Cup holders, they represented the continent in the Intercontinental Cup.
| 1961–62 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Maurício Vieira de Brito (until 31 March 1962) António Fezas Vital | ||
| Head coach | Béla Guttmann | ||
| Stadium | Estádio da Luz | ||
| Primeira Divisão | 3rd | ||
| Taça de Portugal | Winners | ||
| European Cup | Winners | ||
| Intercontinental Cup | Runners-up | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: José Águas (18) All: Eusébio (29) | ||
| Biggest win | Benfica 11–0 Caldas (31 December 1961) | ||
| Biggest defeat | Peñarol 5–0 Benfica (17 September 1961) | ||
In the third year of Béla Guttmann's stint, Benfica had a slow transfer market, only noted addition was António Simões. The season did not start in the best of ways, with the team losing the Intercontinental Cup and suffering a blip in performance that saw him trail leaders by five points before December. However, the performance in Europe remained unchanged and Benfica progressed to the quarter-finals after beating Austria Wien. The domestic performance remained disappointing in January and February, while in Europe, Benfica lost 3–1 to Nürnberg. A strong second leg put them in the semi-finals, where they met Tottenham Hotspur. A 3–1 win in Lisbon was followed by a 2–1 loss in London, meaning had qualified for their second consecutive European Cup final. They would face Real Madrid on 2 May 1962. In an entertaining game, Benfica trailed twice, but managed to overcame Madrid in the second half for 5–3 win, retaining the European Cup. They concluded the season with their 11th Taça de Portugal win.
Season summary
After a highly successful season, where Benfica won their first European Cup and added the league title, Béla Guttmann remained for a third year, with an increased salary.[1] The club released several players but only signed one;[2] instead they promoted António Simões from the youth team.[3] The pre-season began on 25 August and their first game was on the 28th.[4] They met Atlético CP and Sporting CP in Taça Angola: two short matches in the same day in festival to celebrate Angola.[5] They faced the same teams in the Taça de Honra, finishing runners-up to Sporting.[6][7] Official competition began on 4 September with the first leg of the Intercontinental Cup with Peñarol.[8] A one-nil win in Lisbon followed a 5–0 loss in Montevideo.[8] In the replay, Penãrol won 2–1 and took the Intercontinental Cup.[8]
Domestically, Benfica started their title defence with two wins, but four winless matches, which included a loss in Coimbra, caused Benfica to fell to sixth place, three points shy of leaders Sporting.[9] However, in the European Cup, Benfica had no problem beating Austria Wien in the first round.[9] In December, the gap to Sporting increased to five points after a 2–1 defeat in the Clássico.[10] The same month, Eusébio had the first of several left knee operations.[10] In the opening month of 1962, Benfica drew to Sporting in the Derby de Lisboa; a result that best served Sporting's interest, who kept a four-point lead.[11] In February, Eusébio returned to action on the 12th,[12] while his teammates were defeated in the snow of Nuremberg, on the first leg of the quarter-finals. Nürnberg won 3–1 with the help of Costa Pereira, who had a poor performance.[11][13] Before the second leg of the European tie, Benfica lost to Sporting da Covilhã, complicating their hopes of renewing the league title.[12] They recovered from their domestic disarray and thrashed Nürnberg by 6–0, qualifying for the semi-finals.[12][14]
The following month, Benfica lost more points in the league, with Belenenses, practically ending any chance of retaining the Primeira Divisão badge.[12] Nonetheless, in Europe, the situation was much better, with the team beating Tottenham Hotspur by 3–1 in Lisbon, which gave them a precious advantage to London.[1] On the 5 April, Benfica lost 2–1 on the White Hart Lane, home of Tottenham, but they still qualified for their second consecutive European Cup final on a 4–3 aggregate win.[15][13] Later in the month, they defeated Porto in the third round of the Portuguese Cup.[16]
On 2 May, Benfica met Real Madrid in Amsterdam.[15] The Spaniards were the overwhelming favourites, with players such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás and Francisco Gento.[15] Madrid started better and, by the 23rd minute, Puskás had scored a double. Águas brought it down to 2–1 on the 25th minute after he deflected a powerful shot from Eusébio. Less than 10 minutes later, Eusébio again cushioned a cross to Cavém who fired into the net. Madrid reacted with another goal from Puskás putting the score at 2–3 at half-time.[17] Five minutes into the second half, Coluna levelled the game again with a strong shot from outside the lines. On the 64th minute, Eusébio was brought down by Pachín inside the box, with the referee signalling a penalty that Eusébio himself converted.[17] Five minutes later, in a free-kick after a mistake by José Santamaría, Coluna served Eusébio, who blasted another goal, the 5–3.[18] Benfica had successfully retained the European Cup.[18] May closed with another Derby de Lisboa, with Benfica losing and handing over the title to Sporting.[19] In early June, Benfica embarked on a tour through the Mediterranean[19] and closed the season with the semi-finals and final of the Taça de Portugal.[19] On 1 July 1962, Benfica won their 11th Portuguese Cup, with a double from Eusébio and another from Cavém.[19] Guttmann meanwhile, despite winning eight times the amount of money his players received, resigned, saying "the third year is almost deadly for a manager", adding his famous curse.[1]
Competitions
Win Draw Loss Postponed
Overall record
| Competition | First match | Last match | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Source | |||
| Primeira Divisão | 24 September 1961 | 27 May 1962 | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 69 | 38 | +31 | 53.85 | [20] |
| Taça de Portugal | 26 November 1961 | 1 July 1962 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 52 | 14 | +38 | 75.00 | [20] |
| European Cup | 31 October 1961 | 2 May 1962 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 11 | +11 | 57.14 | [20] |
| Intercontinental Cup | 4 September 1961 | 19 September 1961 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 33.33 | [20] |
| Total | 48 | 28 | 11 | 9 | 145 | 70 | +75 | 58.33 | |||
Primeira Divisão
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sporting CP (C) | 26 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 66 | 17 | +49 | 43 | Qualified for the European Cup |
| 2 | Porto | 26 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 57 | 16 | +41 | 41 | Invited for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup |
| 3 | Benfica[a] | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 69 | 38 | +31 | 36 | Qualified for the European Cup |
| 4 | CUF Barreiro | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 44 | 34 | +10 | 33 | |
| 5 | Belenenses | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 51 | 35 | +16 | 31 | Invited for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup |
Results by round
Matches
| 24 September 1961 1 | Leixões | 1–2 | Benfica | Matosinhos |
| 16:00 | Osvaldo Silva  64' (pen.) | Report | 17', 82' Eusébio | Stadium: Estádio do Mar Referee: Edmundo Carvalho |
| 1 October 1961 2 | Benfica | 8–1 | Salgueiros | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Eusébio 10', 13', 23', 39' José Águas 26', 33', 50' José Augusto 49' | Report | 30' Lela | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Manuel Barulho |
| 15 October 1961 3 | Olhanense | 1–1 | Benfica | Olhão |
| 15:00 | Armando 76' | Report | 30' (pen.) Eusébio | Stadium: Estádio José Arcanjo Referee: Encarnação Salgado |
| 29 October 1961 4 | Benfica | 1–1 | Sporting da Covilhã | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Bento Couceiro 1' (o.g.) | Report | 9' Adventino Pedro | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Samuel Abreu |
| 5 November 1961 5 | Académica de Coimbra | 3–1 | Benfica | Coimbra |
| 17:00 | Francisco Abreu 32' Gaio 50', 80' | Report | 20' Coluna | Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Coimbra Referee: Porfírio da Silva |
| 12 November 1961 6 | Benfica | 0–0 | Belenenses | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Rogério de Melo Paiva |
| 19 November 1961 7 | Benfica | 3–1 | Lusitano de Èvora | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | Coluna 8', 43' José Águas 14' | Report | 25' Walter Carvalho | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Marcos Lobato |
| 3 December 1961 8 | Porto | 2–1 | Benfica | Porto |
| 16:00 | Veríssimo 10' Jaime 77' | Report | 5' José Águas | Stadium: Estádio das Antas Referee: Renato Santos |
| 10 December 1961 9 | Benfica | 2–1 | Atlético | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | José Augusto 37', 67' | Report | 8' Moreira | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Evaristo Silva |
| 16 December 1961 10 | CUF | 1–3 | Benfica | Barreiro |
| 16:00 | Vieira Dias 18' | Report | 43' Coluna 68' Santana 83' José Torres | Stadium: Complexo Desportivo Alfredo da Silva Referee: Reinaldo Silva |
| 24 December 1961 11 | Benfica | 1–0 | Vitória de Guimarães | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | Coluna 4' | Report | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Marcos Lobato |
| 7 January 1962 12 | Beira-Mar | 2–3 | Benfica | Aveiro |
| 16:00 | Diego 2' Hóracio Garcia 9' | Report | 8' Germano 23' José Águas 29' Cavém | Stadium: Estádio Mário Duarte Referee: João Pinto Ferreira |
| 14 January 1962 13 | Benfica | 3–3 | Sporting | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Santana 2' Germano 75' (pen.) José Augusto 81' | Report | 1' Diego Arizaga 11' Géo Carvalho 46' Hugo Sarmento | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Salvador Garcia |
| 25 January 1962 14 | Benfica | 7–1 | Leixões | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | José Augusto 16', 27', 66', 78' Santana 58', 71' José Águas 75' | Report | 60' (o.g.) Costa Pereira | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Encarnação Salgado |
| 4 February 1962 15 | Salgueiros | 4–5 | Benfica | Porto |
| 15:00 | Cavém 39' (o.g.) Dário 51' Lela 53' Benje 90' | Report | 27', 58' Santana 66' José Augusto 70', 87' José Águas | Stadium: Estádio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro Referee: Edmundo Carvalho |
| 11 February 1962 16 | Benfica | 4–2 | Olhanense | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | Simões 27' José Águas 30', 74' Coluna 36' | Report | 20' Mateus 60' Alfredo da Silva | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Inácio Tereso |
| 18 February 1961 17 | Sporting da Covilhã | 2–1 | Benfica | Covilhã |
| 15:00 | Amilcar Cavém 52' Chacho 77' | Report | 39' José Augusto | Stadium: Estádio Municipal José Santos Pinto Referee: Abel Costa |
| 4 March 1962 18 | Benfica | 4–2 | Académica de Coimbra | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Américo 12' (o.g.) José Águas 55' Eusébio 68' José Augusto 88' | Report | 33' Crispim 77' Gaio | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Mário Mendonça |
| 11 March 1962 19 | Belenenses | 2–2 | Benfica | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Yaúca 49', 81' | Report | 19' José Augusto 72' José Águas | Stadium: Estádio do Restelo Referee: Joaquim Campos |
| 18 March 1962 20 | Lusitano de Èvora | 0–1 | Benfica | Évora |
| 15:00 | Report | 28' Cavém | Stadium: Complexo Desportivo do Lusitano Referee: Inácio Tereso |
| 1 April 1962 21 | Benfica | 1–1 | Porto | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | José Águas 57' | Report | 18' Veríssimo | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Vírgilio Baptista |
| 8 April 1962 22 | Atlético | 0–3 | Benfica | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Report | 43', 87' Simões 68' Mário João | Stadium: Estádio da Tapadinha Referee: Eduardo Gouveia |
| 15 April 1962 23 | Benfica | 1–1 | CUF | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | José Águas 69' | Report | 44' (o.g.) Fernando Cruz | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Francisco Guerra |
| 15 May 1962 24 | Vitória de Guimarães | 2–2 | Benfica | Guimarães |
| 15:00 | Amaro 21' Rola 25' | Report | 49' José Torres 90' António Mendes | Stadium: Estádio D. Afonso Henriques Referee: João Pinto Ferreira |
| 22 May 1962 25 | Benfica | 8–1 | Beira-Mar | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | Eusébio 10', 24', 46' Cavém 48' José Águas 63', 66', 68' José Augusto 78' | Report | 79' (o.g.) Germano | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Encarnação Salgado |
| 27 May 1962 26 | Sporting | 3–1 | Benfica | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | Morais 20' Hugo Sarmento 27' Costa Pereira 40' (o.g.) | Report | 29' Eusébio | Stadium: Estádio de Alvalade Referee: Décio Freiras |
Taça de Portugal
First round
| 26 November 1961 First leg | Caldas | 3–5 | Benfica | Caldas da Rainha |
| 16:00 | Mirita 1', 86' Janita 47' | 7', 14' José Torres 27', 40' Carlos Angeja 65' Jorge Calado | Stadium: Campo da Mata Referee: Ferreira dos Santos |
| 31 December 1961 Second leg | Benfica | 11–0 (16–3 agg.) | Caldas | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | José Torres 7', 65', 72' Germano 9' Santana 18', 31' Cavém 53', 83', 89' Simões 76' | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Manuel Fragata |
Second round
| 28 January 1962 First leg | Benfica | 2–1 | CUF | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | José Águas 13' José Augusto 34' | 4' Carlos Alberto | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Manuel Fortunato |
| 25 February 1962 Second leg | CUF | 3–2 (4–4 agg.) | Benfica | Barreiro |
| 16:00 | António Medeiros 23', 75' Carlos Alberto 66' | 10', 37' (pen.) Eusébio | Stadium: Complexo Desportivo Alfredo da Silva Referee: Renato Santos |
| 27 February 1962 Replay | Benfica | 2–0 | CUF | Leiria |
| 16:00 | Eusébio 20' Simões 74' | Stadium: Estádio Municipal Referee: Clemente Henriques |
Third round
| 25 March 1962 First leg | Porto | 2–2 | Benfica | Porto |
| 16:00 | Serafim 55' Veríssimo 85' | 3' Mendes 51' Santana | Stadium: Estádio das Antas Referee: Porfírio da Silva |
| 22 April 1962 Second leg | Benfica | 3–1 (5–3 agg.) | Porto | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Simões 28', 50' Eusébio 38' | 4' Serafim | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Manuel Fortunato |
Quarter-final
| 3 June 1962 Second leg | Benfica | 7–1 | Ferrovíario | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Carlos Angeja 34' José Torres 47', 66', 69', 74', 80', 86' | 83' Cruz | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Manuel Barulho |
| 10 June 1962 Second leg | Ferrovíario | 1–7 (2–14 agg.) | Benfica | Lisbon |
| 15:00 | Sophos 84' | 7', 86' Mendes 44', 81' José Torres 46' Nartanga 47' Jorge Calado | Stadium: Estádio da Tapadinha Referee: Inácio Tereso |
Semi-final
| 17 June 1962 First leg | Vitória de Guimarães | 2–2 | Benfica | Guimarães |
| 15:00 | Pedras 28', 80' | 57' Eusébio 70' (o.g.) António Freitas | Stadium: Campo da Amorosa Referee: Abel da Costa |
| 24 June 1962 Second leg | Benfica | 6–0 (8–2 agg.) | Vitória de Guimarães | Lisbon |
| 16:00 | José Águas 1' José Augusto 13' Eusébio 50', 70', 71', 82' | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Virgílio Baptista |
Final
| 1 July 1962 | Benfica | 3–0 | Vitória de Setúbal | Oeiras |
| 16:00 | Eusébio 57', 84' Cavém 68' | Stadium: Estádio Nacional Referee: Manuel Fortunato |
European Cup
First round
Benfica| 31 October 1961 First leg | Austria Wien  | 1–1 | Benfica | Vienna |
| 19:30 | Stark 70' | Report | 30' Águas | Stadium: Praterstadion Attendance: 78,833 Referee: Joseph Barbéran (France) |
Austria Wien| 8 November 1961 Second leg | Benfica | 5–1 (6–2 agg.) | Austria Wien | Lisbon |
| 21:45 | Santana 4', 82' Águas 36', 44' Eusébio 69' | Report | 80' (o.g.) Fernandes | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 50,000 Referee: Marcel Bois (France) |
Quarter-final
Benfica| 1 February 1962 First leg | Nürnberg  | 3–1 | Benfica | Nuremberg |
| 15:00 | Flachenecker 31', 85' Strehl 40' | Report | 10' Cavém | Stadium: Städtisches Stadium Attendance: 41,010 Referee: Thomas Wharton (Scotland) |
Nürnberg| 22 February 1962 Second leg | Benfica | 6–0 (7–4 agg.) | Nürnberg | Lisbon |
| 21:45 | Águas 3' Eusébio 4', 55' Coluna 20'José Augusto 63', 78' | Report | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 55,000 Referee: Gino Rigato (Italy) |
Semi-final
Tottenham Hotspur| 21 March 1962 First leg | Benfica | 3–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Lisbon |
| 21:45 | Simões 5' Augusto 19', 64' | Report | 55' Smith | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Daniel Mellet (Switzerland) |
Benfica| 5 April 1962 Second leg | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 (3–4 agg.) | Benfica | London |
| 19:30 | Smith 34' Blanchflower 48' (pen.) | Report | 15' Águas | Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 64,448 Referee: Aage Poulsen (Denmark) |
Final
Real Madrid| 2 May 1962 | Benfica | 5–3 | Real Madrid | Amsterdam |
| 19:30 CEST | Águas 25' Cavém 34'Coluna 51'Eusébio 65', 68' | Report | 17', 23', 38' Puskás | Stadium: Olympisch Stadion Attendance: 61,257 Referee: Leo Horn (Netherlands) |
Intercontinental Cup
Peñarol| 4 September 1961 First leg | Benfica | 1–0 | Peñarol | Lisbon |
| Coluna 60' | Report | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Othmar Huber (Switzerland) |
Benfica| 17 September 1961 Second leg | Peñarol | 5–0 | Benfica | Montevideo |
| Sasía 10' (pen.) Joya 18', 28' Spencer 42', 58' | Report | 15' Águas | Stadium: Estadio Centenario Attendance: 56,358 Referee: Carlos Nai Foino (Argentina) |
Benfica| 19 September 1961 Replay | Peñarol | 2–1 | Benfica | Montevideo |
| Sasía 5', 85' (pen.) | Report | 35' Eusébio | Stadium: Estadio Centenario Attendance: 56,358 Referee: José Luis Praddaude (Argentina) |
Friendlies
| 27 August 1961[24] Torneio Angola | Sporting | 1–0 | Benfica | Oeiras |
| Figueiredo 1' | Stadium: Estádio Nacional |
| 31 August 1961[6] Taça de Honra | Benfica | 3–1 | Atlético | Lisbon |
| Santana 7', 15', 40' | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Augusto Bailão |
| 9 September 1961[7] Taça de Honra | Sporting CP | 3–0 | Benfica | Lisbon |
| Géo 1', 72' Serranito 82' | Stadium: Estádio Nacional |
| 4 October 1961[26] | Benfica | 2–3 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Lisbon |
| Cavém 2' Coluna 23' | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Eduardo Gouveia |
| 8 October 1961[27] Artur Tstm | Benfica | 3–2 | La Chaux-de-Fonds | Lisbon |
| Stadium: Estádio da Luz Referee: Anibal de Oliveira |
| 11 October 1961[28] | Royal Antwerp | 1–3 | Benfica | Antwerp |
| Stadium: Bosuilstadion |
| 1 June 1962[31] | Al Ahly | 3–2 | Benfica | Cairo |
| Badawi Abdel Fattah 4', 28' Taha Ismail 64' | 23' José Águas 66' Eusébio | Stadium: Cairo International Stadium |
| 6 June 1962[33] | Omonia | 2–6 | Benfica | Nicosia |
| Antonakis 9' Pakkas 73' | 26', 53' Eusébio 27', 65' José Augusto 44' José Águas 62' Coluna | Stadium: GSP Stadium Attendance: 5,000 |
| 8 June 1962[34] | Fenerbahçe | 1–4 | Benfica | Istanbul |
| Sefter 89' | 38' Coluna 40' Eusébio 59' José Águas 62' Coluna | Stadium: Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium Attendance: 20,000 |
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).[20][35][36][A]
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 1961–62 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.
Transfers
In
| Entry date | Position | Player | From club | Fee | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 August 1961 | FW | Carlos Angeja | Atlético CP | Undisclosed | [2] |
Out
| Exit date | Position | Player | To club | Fee | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 July 1961 | DF | Artur Santos | None | Retired | [37] |
| 5 August 1961 | MF | Francisco Palmeiro | Atlético CP | Undisclosed | [38] |
| 14 August 1961 | GK | José de Bastos | Beira-Mar | Undisclosed | [39] |
| 17 August 1961 | FW | Jorge Lopes | Académica | Undisclosed | [40] |
| 28 August 1961 | MF | Álvaro Inácio | Atlético CP | Undisclosed | [5] |
| 28 August 1961 | MF | Peres | Atlético CP | Undisclosed | [5] |
Notes
References
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. Vol. 3. Portugal. ISBN 978-972-99134-6-4.
{{cite book}}:|newspaper=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Simões, António (1994). História de 50 anos do Desporto Português. Portugal.
{{cite book}}:|newspaper=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)