Defying the curse:Benfica bristling with 'determination and optimism'
May 1962: Lisbon giants Benfica win the European Cup for the second time in a row. After the final whistle in the 5-3 victory over Real Madrid there is a dispute between the club officials and coach Belá Guttmann over money. As a consequence the coach quits in high dudgeon, laying a curse on the club for good measure: “You shan't win a European cup for the next 100 years!” Or so the legend goes.
56 years later the so-called Guttmann curse still seems to be in force. Benfica have reached eight European finals since then, losing every single one of them. Even Benfica legend Eusebio, who prayed at Guttmann's grave and asked for the curse to be lifted, was not able to change that. A bronze statue of the Hungarian coach at the Estádio da Luz has been of no help either. The curse remains intact.
However, Benfica are the gold standard on the home front with an unrivalled trophy collection: 34 championship titles and 25 cup triumphs, making them the Portuguese record champions and record cup winners. They currently top the domestic league table with a five-point edge. The club have advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2011/12 season. Benfica have won 17 of their last 19 competitive fixtures, with one defeat and one draw, scoring a total of 101 goals in all competitions so far this season.
