| Clubname: | Benfica |
| Full Name: | Sport Lisboa e Benfica |
| Nickname: | Portuguese: As Águias (The Eagles) |
| Founded: | (parent club in 1904) |
| Ground: | Pavilhão da Luz Nº 2 |
| Capacity: | 1,800 |
| Chairman: | Filipe Gomes[1] |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Manager: | Jota González[2] |
| League: | Andebol 1 |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Position: | Andebol 1, 3rd |
| Website: | https://www.slbenfica.pt/pt-pt/modalidades/andebol |
| Colour1: | Red |
| Colour2: | White |
| Pattern La1: | _benfica2425h |
| Pattern B1: | _benfica2425H |
| Pattern Ra1: | _benfica2425h |
| Pattern Sh1: | _adidasred |
| Leftarm1: | FE0000 |
| Body1: | FE0000 |
| Rightarm1: | FE0000 |
| Shorts1: | FFFFFF |
| Pattern La2: | _benfica2425a |
| Pattern B2: | _benfica2425A |
| Pattern Ra2: | _benfica2425a |
| Leftarm2: | 000000 |
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Sport Lisboa e Benfica (pronounced as /pt/), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional handball team based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Benfica play in the top tier domestic league, Andebol 1, and hold home matches at the Pavilhão da Luz Nº 2. Since its inception in 1932, Benfica have won 7 Portuguese League titles, 6 Portuguese Cups, 2 Portuguese League Cups, and 7 Portuguese Super Cups. Internationally, Benfica won the EHF European League in 2021–22, becoming the first Portuguese club to win the competition.
In addition to the club's men's reserve team, Benfica B, playing in the second division,[3] Benfica also has a women's team, who are the current Portuguese champions, having won 10 League titles, 8 Cups, 1 Federation Cup and 4 Super Cups.
Founded on 8 May 1932, Benfica's handball section endured a troubled start shortly after being founded. It was inactive from 1939 to 1942–43 because of a conflict between Benfica and the Portuguese Handball Federation.[4] Until the 1960s, handball was played by eleven players, and after 1962–63, in another dispute with the federation, Benfica closed the eleven players team and opted for the current team handball.[5] The handball section did not achieve success until 1961–62, being overshadowed by the football, cycling, basketball and roller hockey sections of the club during that time.
After a period of dominance by crosstown rivals Sporting CP, Benfica experienced great success in the 1980s and early 1990s, when was led by coach Eugene Troffin, and later by Ângelo Pintado,[6] along with players such as Paulo Bunze, Swedish international Fredrik Appelgren,[7] Dogărescu, Covaciu and Drăgăniță,[8] goalkeeper João Santa Bárbara, wingman Mário Gentil,[9] Vasco Vasconcelos, Luís Lopes and Rui Ferreira;[10] Benfica won four national championships, three Portuguese Cup and two Portuguese Super Cup.
In the 1997–98 season, club president João Vale e Azevedo decided to shut down the section.[11] It was restarted in the next season, but from the Regional Championship, four divisions away from the top flight.[12]
In 2005, after years in anonymity, Benfica hired former ABC Braga coach Aleksander Donner on a three-year deal.[13] Because of a dispute between Liga and the Handball Federation, which managed the Divisão de Elite, there were two simultaneous championships. In the 2005–06 season, Benfica played in the Divisão de Elite. In 2006–07, Benfica joined the Liga Portuguesa de Andebol along with Sporting CP. During that season, Benfica won their first title since 1994, the League Cup.[14] In the following season, Benfica finally achieved their first league title since 1990.[15] Despite the success, Aleksander Donner did not renew his contract at the end of the season.[16]
To replace Donner, Benfica hired José António Silva, who won three titles in three years: the 2008–09 League Cup, 2010–11 Portuguese Cup[17] and 2010 Super Cup.[18] In the 2010–11 season, Benfica reached the final of the EHF Challenge Cup, but lost to Slovene side RK Cimos Koper.[19] In 2011–12, José António Silva was replaced by another former ABC Braga coach, Jorge Rito.[20] With him, Benfica finished fourth in league for the first time.[21] On 2 September 2012, Jorge Rito won Benfica's fourth Super Cup trophy.[22] The season ended with only a second place in the league.[23] In 2013–14, Benfica's performances worsened, and the team finished the league in fourth place. Jorge Rito did not renew his contract and was replaced by Mariano Ortega.[24] [25] On 3 April 2016, Benfica, who had beaten rivals FC Porto in the semi-finals the day before,[26] beat Lisbon rivals Sporting in the final and conquered their fifth Portuguese Cup, ending a four-year trophy drought.[27] [28]
Squad for the 2024–25 season:[29] Goalkeepers
Kristóf PalasicsLeft wingers
Right wingers
Christopher HedbergLine players
Aldo PagliottaLeft backs
Filip TaleskiCentral backs
Ander Izquierdo Egon HanuszRight backs
Demis GrigorașNote: Benfica score is always listed first.[30], H = home match; A = away match
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–63 | European Cup | Round 1 | Atlético Madrid BM | 13–6 |
| 1975–76 | Round 1 | CB Alicante | Withdrew | |
| 1982–83 | Round 1 | FC Barcelona | 25–32, 18–32 | |
| 1983–84 | Round 1 |  ATSE Graz | 25–25 (H), 20–29 (A) | |
| 1987–88 | EHF Cup Winners' Cup | Round 1 | Atlético Madrid BM | 21–20 (H), 11–29 (A) |
| 1989–90 | European Cup | Round 1 | FC Barcelona | 20–18 (H), 17–28 (A) |
| 1990–91 | Round 1 |  Red Boys Differdange | 28–18 (H), 26–28 (A) | |
| Round 2 |  USAM Nîmes | 23–21 (H), 23–31 (A) | ||
| 1993–94 | EHF City Cup | 1/16 Finals |  Pallamano Rubiera | 27–19 (H), 20–22 (A) |
| 1/8 Finals | ETO Győri | 24–21 (A), 19–17 (H) | ||
| 1/4 Finals | PSG Asnieres Hand-Ball | 27–32 (A), 25–28 (H) | ||
| 1995–96 | 1/16 Finals | ZMC Amicitia Zürich | 19–30 (A), 30–27 (H) | |
| 1996–97 | 1/16 Finals | Borec Veles | 18–15 (A), 32–14 (H) | |
| 1/8 Finals |  Horn/Sittardia | 21–14 (H), 15–29 (A) | ||
| 1997–98 | 1/16 Finals | ESN Vrilissia | 26–21 (A), 30–12 (H) | |
| 1/8 Finals |  Trabzon Belediyespor | 27–20 (H), 30–30 (A) | ||
| 1/4 Finals | Academia Octavio Vigo | 22–32 (A), 25–23 (H) | ||
| 1998–99 | 1/16 Finals | BSV Wacker Thun | 0–10 (A), 0–10 (H) | |
| 2002–03 | EHF Cup Winners' Cup | Round 3 |  Dennis Turku | 14–26 (A), 17–25 (H) |
| 2007–08 | EHF Challenge Cup | Round 3 |  HC "Mojkovac" | 46–22 (A), 46–26 (H) |
| 1/8 Final |  Shakhtar-Academiya | 33–26 (A), 21–25 (H) | ||
| 1/4 Final | CSU Poli-Izometal Timişoara | 32–22 (H), 22–21 (A) | ||
| 1/2 Final | UCM Sport Reșița | 31–26 (H), 25–32 (A) | ||
| 2008–09 | EHF Champions League | Qualification Round 1 | A1 Bregenz | 38–34 (H), 28–35 (A) |
| 2008–09 | EHF Cup | Round 2 | RK Lovćen | 26–28 (A), 24–23 (H) |
| 2009–10 | Round 2 |  H/C "Tbilisi" | 34–21 (H), 29–25 (A) | |
| Round 3 |  SKIF Krasnodar | 29–28 (A), 35–30 (H) | ||
| Round 4 | TBV Lemgo | 30–27 (A), 18–31 (H) | ||
| 2010–11 | EHF Challenge Cup | Round 3 | CSA Steaua București | 43–29 (H), 23–29 (A) |
| Last 16 | HC "Motor-ZNTU-ZAS" | 33–28 (A), 30–23 (H) | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Radnički Kragujevac | 28–29 (A), 29–21 (H) | ||
| Semi-finals | Partizan Dunav Osiguranje | 30–36 (A), 33–25 (H) | ||
| Finals | RK Cimos Koper | 27–27 (H), 27–31 (A) | ||
| 2011–12 | EHF Cup Winners' Cup | Round 3 | HC Lovćen-Cetinje | 25–21 (A), 26–14 (H) |
| Last 16 | Pandurii Târgu Jiu | 33–27 (A), 41–24 (H) | ||
| Quarter-finals | HC Celje Pivovarna Lasko | 23–29 (A), 31–30 (H) | ||
| 2012–13 | EHF Cup | Round 1 | Pfadi Winterthur | 28–21 (A), 27–27 (H) |
| Round 2 | Loacker Südtirol Team | 32–20 (H), 40–25 (H) | ||
| Round 3 | HBC Nantes | 21–29 (A), 28–21 (H) | ||
| 2013–14 | Round 2 |  Haukar | 34–22 (A), 34–19 (H) | |
| Round 3 | Pick Szeged | 25–31 (A), 24–25 (H) | ||
| 2014–15 | EHF Challenge Cup | Round 3 |  FyllingenBergen | 33–32 (H), 28–25 (H) |
| Last 16 | HB Dudelange | 36–30 (H), 28–24 (H) | ||
| Quarter-finals |  KS Azoty-Puławy | 37–29 (A), 32–31 (H) | ||
| Semi-final | Odorheiu Secuiesc | 29–31 (A), 25–27 (H) | ||
| 2015–16 | Round 3 | ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar | 28–26 (A), 34–26 (H) | |
| Last 16 | A.C. Filippos Verias | 34–14 (H), 23–26 (A) | ||
| Quarter-finals | St. Petersburg HC | 24–20 (H), 25–27 (A) | ||
| Semi-finals | FyllingenBergen | 35–22 (H), 29–27 (A) | ||
| Finals | ABC/UMinho | 22–28 (H), 29–25 (A) | ||
| 2016–17 | EHF Cup | Qualification Round 2 | Käerjeng | 31–26 (H), 33–30 (A) |
| Qualification Round 3 | KS Azoty-Puławy | 29–34 (A), 24–18 (H) | ||
| Group D | MT Melsungen | 22–32 (A), 26–24 (H) | ||
| Helvetia Anaitasuna | 33–28 (H), 28–35 (A) | |||
| Riihimäki Cocks | 23–21 (A), 26–25 (H) | |||
| 2017–18 | Qualification Round 1 | HC Dinamo Pančevo | 39–20 (H), 28–35 (H) | |
| Qualification Round 2 | Gwardia Opole | 28–24 (H), 21–26 (A) | ||
| 2018–19 | Qualification Round 2 | FH Hafnarfjordur | 37–32 (H), 34–31 (H) | |
| Qualification Round 3 | TSV Hannover-Burgdorf | 36–41 (A), 33–33 (H) | ||
| 2019–20 | Qualification Round 2 | RK Dubrava | 29–28 (H), 34–16 (H) | |
| Qualification Round 3 | 26–30 (A), 28–24 (H) | |||
| Group A (cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) | 33–24 (A), (H) cancelled | |||
| 29–26 (H), (A) cancelled | ||||
| 29–24 (H), 30–23 (A) | ||||
| 2020–21 | EHF European League | Qualification Round 1 | Fivers | 28–26 (H), 34–38 (A) |
| 2021–22 | Qualification Round 1 | HC Kriens-Luzern | 31–24 (A), 29–18 (H) | |
| Qualification Round 2 | Rhein-Neckar Löwen | 31–31 (A), 33–28 (H) | ||
| Group B | HBC Nantes | 31–30 (H), 33–33 (A) | ||
| GOG Håndbold | 38–39 (A), 25–33 (H) | |||
| Chekhovskiye Medvedi | 32–27 (A), 38–35 (H) | |||
| TBV Lemgo | 35–30 (H), 30–29 (A) | |||
| Riihimäki Cocks | 37–23 (H), 37–32 (A) | |||
| Last 16 | Fenix Toulouse Handball | 34–38 (A), 36–30 (H) | ||
| Quarter-finals | RK Gorenje Velenje | 36–29 (H), 27–27 (H) | ||
| Semi-finals | Orlen Wisła Płock | 26–19 | ||
| Final | SC Magdeburg | 40–39 |
According to Benfica's official website[31]
Winners (7): 1961–62, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1989–90, 2007–08
Winners (6): 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2017–18
Winners (2): 2006–07, 2008–09
Winners (7): 1989, 1993, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2022
Winners (1): 2021–22
Runners-up (2): 2010–11, 2015–16
According to Benfica's official website[32]
Winners (10): 1983–84, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2021–22, 2022–23,[33] [34] 2023–24
Winners (1): 1996–97[35]
Winners (8): 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2021–22, 2022–23[36]
Winners (1): 2023-24
Winners (4): 1990, 1992, 2022, 2023[37]