Amsterdam, 1962 – European Champions Cup 1961/62

Cristiano Ronaldo is the new Real Madrid player and was received, in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, by 85 000 enthusiastic fans. The President, Florentino Pérez and the Real Madrid Marketing team know exactly how to valorise their “galactic” players and CR9 is the most recent example. To the presentation two special guests were invited, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Eusébio. These two football players’ stars played against each other on the Euro Champions Final 1962.

Amsterdam, 1962 – European Champions Cup 1961/62

The first ECC round was played against FC Austria Wien, on 31st October 1961 and the final result was a draw to one goal (J. Águas). Two weeks later, the result would be different for SL Benfica, 5-1 (Santana 2, J. Águas 2, Eusébio) at Luz Stadium.
On the second round the opponent was FC Nürnberg. The snow was present when Benfica visited the German team and the 3-1 (Cavém) defeat almost compomised the chances of the Portuguese players.
Fortunately for us on the night of 22nd February, Benfica won the second leg on the Lisbon game for 6-0 (Eusébio 2, J. Augusto 2, J. Águas and Coluna).
On the semi-finals, came Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from the United Kingdom, whose team lost the game in Luz 3-1. The scorers from the Benfica side were José Augusto with two goals and Simões. Things became harder at the White Hart Lane. On the London game the Spurs won for 2-1 (J. Águas).

On the 2nd May 1962, Amsterdam, received the European Champions Cup Final. Benfica with Eusébio known as the “Black Panther”, José Águas, Mário Coluna and António Simões facing Real Madrid CF of Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskas and Francisco Gento.

Location: Amsterdam, Olympisch Stadium

Date: 02/05/1962

Referee: Léon Horn (Holland).

ECC Final Teams:

SL Benfica: Costa Pereira, Mário João, Ângelo, Cavém, Germano, Cruz, José Augusto, Eusébio, Coluna and Simões.

Real Madrid CF: Araquistain, Casado, Miera, Felo, Santamaria, Pachin, Tejada, Del Sol, Di Stéfano, Puskas and Gento..

Sport Lisboa e Benfica 5-3 Real Madrid Club de Fútbol

Real Madrid CF entered better on the game and Puskas scored two goals (17’ and 23’). The reaction of Benfica was quicly and José Águas scored two minutes later. On the 34th minute Cavém had a chance and made the second Portuguese goal. The “Merengues” tried to achieve again a positive result before half-time and Puskas did it, he scored at the 38th minute.
On the second half, the benfica’s players scored three goals. Coluna initially and latter Eusébio scored twice, helping SL Benfica to bring the second ECC home.

Preliminary round
Budapesti Vasas S Club 1-5 Real Madrid CF

First round
Boldklubben 1913 0-12 Real Madrid CF
FC Austria Wien 2-6 SL Benfica

Quarter-finals
FC Nürnberg 3-7 SL Benfica
Juventus FC (ag) 1-1 Real Madrid CF

Semi-finals
SL Benfica 4-3 Tottenham H.
Real Madrid CF 6-0 Standard de Liège

Final
SL Benfica 5-3 Real Madrid CF

Liga Sagres: Sport Lisboa e Benfica 3-1 Clube de Futebol «Os Belenenses»

The season ended for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Now it is time for holidays and above all to study and learn with the mistakes committed. It seems that with so much money invested the results should have been better. In general, it is more than accepted the idea that financially, things are going well. The fans want more and they deserve more. The expectations are always high, winning a Cup and finishing the Portuguese League on a third place is for sure dramatic.

The ghosts on the exterior should not always be responsible for the bad results. We know that talking on the press about the difficulties of the Club gives Television audiences and off course sells newspapers. If Benfica sells the Club cannot fight against it so the better answer is to start feeding the Media, collaborating with them and turning at the same time Benfica Tv on a strong project.

The same occurs for instance with Portuguese Clubs. All clubs want to defeat a Benfica that plays with a lot of foreign players winning a lot of money compared with the salaries their players earn. Above that if they do win they might not do anything more on the rest of the season, but who cares if they have some hours or days of Gloria in the press… Foreign young players are needed and can for sure help the Club playing football and also financially. Young promises, Portuguese or not, are always welcome and needs investments in the times we are living. Our academy is working very well but there are a lot of prospection’s to continue doing around.

Fellipe Bastos scored a great goal on the victory that just confirmed the poor exhibition of the team “Os Belenenses” this season.

Fellipe Ramos Ignez Bastos (1990/02/01)

Fellipe is one of those young kids who can for sure be talked about in this context. Nevertheless he participated only in two games, making 133 minutes of an entire season. Although he is very young and has for sure much to learn it seems that the opportunities to show his value could have been more.

Fellipe is natural from Rio de Janeiro. This brilliant young player played earlier for Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas where he achieved fantastic perfomances. He also was the captain fo the Brazilian Under 17 team playing on Fifa 2007 World Cup held in Korea Republic. Extremely caution deffending and positioning when the team is attacking. Enjoys to have the ball and to play with it. Will for sure have a great future on his feet.


If I played on a Club I would be honoured to see my old team captain or one of the oldest guys playing against me, representing SL Benfica, on the following season. Respect is something beautiful but we most understand how to get it.

Liga Sagres: Sporting Clube de Braga 1-3 Sport Lisboa e Benfica

3rd Place Achieved

A dynamic game happened last weekend in Braga. Fortunately to Benfica the errors committed by the Braga players opened the doors to the secure the 3rd place in the Portuguese League.

Cardozo scored again and the other two goals belonged to Di Maria and Urreta. It is true that the goals occurred on Braga failures, but if there was no pressing those mistakes wouldn’t have occurred.

Quique Flores must have heard the press rumors about an eventual transfer from the Braga coach Jorge Jesus to Benfica to occupy precisely his place, and decided to mixture some “cards”. One of the options was giving the right side of the defense to Miguel Vitor and Maxi Pereira would play on his natural position in the right wing. That worked well but David Luiz suffered a lesion early and the team changed again not giving the chance to everybody who went to the stadium to watch correctly the players playing on that positions. Nevertheless the opportunity to watch Jorge Ribeiro playing on the left appeared and on a well obtained exhibition.

Some people say that Jorge Jesus will be the next SL Benfica coach. Before the game, J. Jesus guessed witch players would play against Braga. If Jesus take Quique’s place, one thing he should avoid is that, the future opponent coaches he might face, dream with the players and tactics he intends to use.

Jorge Miguel de Oliveira Ribeiro (1981/11/09)

The twenty seven years old, Portuguese defense, Jorge Ribeiro started playing on the Benfica youth teams. His talent made he repeatedly represent the Benfica B team, until 2002, in between aseason representing the Azores island Clube Desportivo Santa Clara.

The experience was positive and he returned but to the first Benfica team on the following season. The fourth place obtained by the Benfica on that League was probably one of the reasons that didn’t let him continue with the team. The northern Varzim Sport Club seemed a good opportunity to show his qualities and Jorge moved there to play on the following two seasons.

The return to Benfica proved that he his now more mature and a more experience player but he had to play for Gil Vicente Futebol Clube, FK Dynamo Moskva, Málaga Club de Fútbol and Clube Desportivo das Aves to achieve that.

Will Jorge Ribeiro have more opportunities?