Has anyone heard about the ‘Curse of Bela Guttman’? Most probably not.
Perhaps the only curse apart from South Africa’s ‘choker’ tag, which remains valid until date.
Benfica, Portugal’s second-most successful club after Porto FC, made it to the finals of the 2013 Europa League, by beating Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.
They were up against a resurgent Chelsea outfit, led by once-a-Chelsea-nemesis Rafael Benitez.
The match was tied until the 88th minute after a Cardozo penalty nullified a Fernando Torres first-half strike.
But it came down to a lofted ball in from a corner, for Branislav Ivanovic to get a fine header that all but sealed the victory for the Blues.
It was a heart-breaking defeat for Jorge Jesus and his boys. Then everything changed the following season.
Benfica again got eliminated from the Champions League only to land in the Europa League for the second successive time; and for the second successive time, they made it to the finals.
This time around, there were up against a team, that secured a place in the competition by the virtue of another club, Malaga, who were was handed a penalty for their financial turbulences.
But as it turned out, Malaga’s loss was Sevilla gain.
Benfica was left to stand in disbelief after a second final’s loss in a row.
Their awful penalty conversion saw them going down 4-2 in the shootout.
Sometimes it’s painfully difficult to explain a defeat, especially a one in a final. But if that has been the trend for the eighth time in 62 years, without erring, then it has got to do with something else.
What is that?
As the Benfica fans would say, it’s the Curse of Bela Guttman.
Bela Guttman was a Hungarian footballer and coach. He coached Porto for a year before moving to Benfica. Under him, they twice won the European Cup from 1959-1962.
However, as history would say, he was sacked on acrimonious grounds. While departing from Portugal, Guttman allegedly cursed the club, declaring, “Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champion”.
That says everything about their torrid luck in European finals ever since.
But why does Sevilla have a different story to tell?
In the 2012-2013 La Liga season, Manuel Pellegrini’s Malaga finished sixth in the table, which automatically gave them a Europa League spot.
But as luck would have it, Court of Arbitration of Sports(CAS) banned Malaga from qualifying for any European competition for violating the ‘Fair Play Regulations’, which subsequently pummelled them into a financial crisis.
Rayo Vallecano, who had finished seventh, were denied a UEFA license to get into the Europa League, for their inability to sign a time-frame to pay off their creditors.
In this financial and fair-play tussle, Sevilla was the beneficiary.
They had finished ninth, yet they got into the Europa League. The rest is history.
They kept the curse alive in the hearts of the Benfica fans and went on to lift their first European Cup in eight years.
They became the first team to retain any European title by regaining their Europa League Cup, the following season. They beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, in Warsaw.
Then last season, against all odds and up against a tough Liverpool team, they came from behind at 0-1 at the break, to clinch it 3-1.
Three titles in three years. The first from chaos. They are now riding high in the Spanish league, having led for part of this year.
If anything can really explain such contrasting fortunes, it’s football. Nothing can really better it.
Amrit
Roar Guru
To all my readers, even if you see the head-to-head, it's Porto 65 to Benfica 55 all-time.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Porto really is as big as it gets in terms of popularity of players ,managers and trophies, mate. The point about Porto FC or FC Porto is rather invalid, no body gives it a damn.
Glenn
Guest
If Porto are as big as you say wouldn't it make more sense if you were able to recognize them by their correct name which is FC Porto and not Porto FC
Amrit
Roar Guru
Well it's then subjective,I guess.
valter
Guest
It's funny how the author tells me not to judge a club's success by the overall number of titles but then that's all he clings to in order to prove his point, the number of titles in the last decade, since the millenium etc. But you really proved yourself quite an expert on Portuguese football when you told us to go ask people in Lisbon who are the most successful team. I'm LMAOing here on that one!
Amrit
Roar Guru
It's true Porto has 72 titles compared to Benfica's 89, but a lion's share of those titles came before the turn of the millennium. Since the turn of the millennium, Porto has nine League titles compare to Benfica's five; Porto has five European honors while Benfica none. If you ask any body in Lisbon or even in London, whose popularity is more in terms of European glory, the answer is obvious, it's Porto.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Yeah that's when the curse began, in 1962, I guess there's a difference between making it to the finals and actually winning the thing; In the last decade or so, Porto has been the number 1 in the country with titles, both domestic and European
Cadavra
Guest
Benfica won the European Champion Clubs' Cup twice back to the sixties before it was called the Champion's League. Benfica is the first club in Portugal, with the biggest amount of fans + more trophies than anyone in there. Porto have more european titles, it's true. And after ? Benfica is the number 1 in Portugal, it is the most successful club. Porto is the most successful club in Europa.
MelbCro
Guest
Benfica won the Champions League back-to-back in 61 and 62. Plus they've been Runner-Up on 5 occasions.
Amrit
Roar Guru
Never judge a club's success only on the quantity of titles, it's always about the quality of titles. It's true Benfica has won the Portuguese league 35 times to Porto's 27. It's true that they have won the domestic cup 9 times more than Porto. But Benfica has never won the Champions league, Porto won it in 2004. Porto has won the UEFA Super Cup, which Benfica did not. Porto has six European trophies in its cabinet compared to Benfica's two.
valter
Guest
"Benfica, Portugal’s second-most successful club after Porto FC"? Mr. Journalist, you should do your homework before you write such claims. Go check who's got more national leagues, national cups, presences in european cups finals, and overall titles. Benfica is in the world top3 of football clubs in number of associates. You go figure.