S.L. Benfica B

Summary

Sport Lisboa e Benfica "B" (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɨˈpɔɾ liʒˈβoɐ i βɐ̃jˈfikɐ be], commonly known as Benfica B, is a Portuguese professional football team based in Seixal. Founded in 1999, dissolved in 2006, and restarted in 2012, it is the reserve team of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. They play in the Liga Portugal 2, holding home matches at Benfica Campus' main pitch.

Benfica B
Full nameSport Lisboa e Benfica "B"
Nickname(s)As Águias (The Eagles)
Os Encarnados (The Reds)
Founded1999
GroundBenfica Campus
Capacity2,720
PresidentRui Costa
Head coachNélson Veríssimo
LeagueLiga Portugal 2
2022–23Liga Portugal 2, 15th of 18
WebsiteClub website
Current season

During the 2012–13 season, Benfica B played home matches at the Estádio da Luz until February, when they moved to Estádio da Tapadinha to prevent excessive wear of the stadium's grass.[1] In 2013–14, they permanently moved to their own training ground, capable of receiving professional league matches.

As a reserve team, Benfica B cannot play in the same division as the club's main team, thus being ineligible for promotion to the Primeira Liga. Moreover, they cannot enter domestic cup competitions such as the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga.

Since 2018–19, Benfica have an under-23 team playing in Liga Revelação, a competition for players who left the under-19s but who are not ready to join or regularly play for the first-team.[2]

History edit

As Benfica sought a way to provide playing time for their youth and reserve players, they created a B team in 1999. The team officially started competing in the 1999–2000 season, with their first match played away against Portimonense S.C. (2–2) in late August.[3] After three seasons in the Portuguese Second Division, they suffered relegation to the Terceira Divisão, where they would spend three years,[4] before achieving promotion to the Portuguese Second Division in 2005. In May of the following year, the board of directors extinguished the side, which returned to activity shortly after as part of the Liga Intercalar. As part of this competition, the team's best league finish was a second place, behind Estoril B, in the South Zone of the 2010–11 season.

Before the end of the 2011–12 football season in Portugal, seven Primeira Liga clubs announced their interest in creating a reserve team to fill the six vacancies available in the Segunda Liga (now Liga Portugal 2) for the 2012–13 campaign.[5] Of those seven clubs, six were selected to take part in the competition: Benfica, Braga, Marítimo, Porto, Sporting CP and Vitória de Guimarães.[6]

LPFP, who organize the professional football tiers in Portugal, announced that the clubs would have to pay €50,000 to register themselves at the league in order to compete in the upcoming season.[7] In addition, LPFP also required them to follow new rules regarding player selection, in which each B team must have a squad with a minimum of ten players formed at the club's academy and with an age between 15 and 21 years, and a maximum of three players above 23 years old. LPFP also decided that reserve teams are unable to compete in cup competitions and to gain promotion to the Primeira Liga due to the possibility of playing against their club's first team.

In late May 2012, it was officially announced that the B teams of six Primeira Liga clubs would compete in the 2012–13 Segunda Liga, a decision that increased the number of teams from 16 to 22 and the number of matches from 30 to 42.[8]

 
Starting line-up of Benfica B for a friendly match against F.C. United of Manchester in May 2015

In 2014, Benfica B were invited to play in the first Premier League International Cup. On 29 May 2015, they played a friendly against F.C. United of Manchester in Broadhurst Park's official opening match.[9][10] On 26 May 2019, they played a practice match against Liverpool in Marbella, Spain, five days before the latter's Champions League final.[11]

Players edit

Current squad edit

As of 9 February 2024[12][13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
45 GK   JPN Leo Kokubo
48 DF   POR Rafael Rodrigues
52 FW   POR Henrique Pereira
57 FW   POR José Marques
60 MF   POR Nuno Félix
62 DF   FRA Lenny Lacroix
66 DF   USA Joshua Wynder
70 DF   POR Filipe Cruz
71 DF   POR João Tomé
73 DF   BRA Tiago Cóser
74 MF   SVN Žan Jevšenak
75 GK   POR André Gomes
76 DF   BRA Gustavo Marques (on loan from América Mineiro)
77 FW   POR Gerson Sousa
No. Pos. Nation Player
78 DF   POR Kiko Domingues
79 MF   POR Hugo Félix
80 FW   POR Pedro Santos
81 DF   ALB Adrian Bajrami
82 DF   POR Diogo Spencer
83 MF   POR Rafael Luís
84 MF   POR João Rego
86 MF   POR Diogo Prioste
88 FW   BRA Cauê (on loan from Lommel)
89 FW   POR Gustavo Varela
90 FW   CPV Gilson Benchimol (on loan from Estoril)[14]
92 GK   POR Pedro Souza
98 GK   POR Ricardo Ribeiro

Out on loan edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
49 MF   POR Martim Neto (Gil Vicente until 30 June 2024)[15]
DF   POR Ricardo Teixeira (at Leixões until 30 June 2024)[16]
MF   POR Tiago Dantas (at AZ Alkmaar until 30 June 2024)[17]
FW   POR Henrique Araújo (at Famalicão until 30 June 2024)[18]

Coaching staff edit

Position Name
Head coach Nélson Veríssimo[19]
Assistant coaches Marco Pimenta
Jorge Cordeiro
Goalkeeper coach Paulo Marques
Analyst coach Pedro Pitacas
Analyst assistant coach Rúben Damazio
Personal trainers (Benfica LAB) Tiago Vaz
Duarte Carvalho

Last updated: 6 July 2023
Source: [20]

Records and statistics edit

Season-to-season record edit

Season Div Pos Pld W D L GF GA Pts Top scorer Goals Refs
1999–2000 III 13th 38 14 6 18 53 49 48   Cláudio Oeiras 11 [21][22]
2000–2001 III 9th 38 14 11 13 58 57 57   Jorge Cordeiro 16 [23][24]
2001–2002 III 18th 38 11 11 16 35 42 44   Jorge Ribeiro 5 [25]
2002–2003 IV 3rd 34 14 14 6 47 25 56 [26]
2003–2004 IV 5th 34 15 8 11 63 48 53 [26]
2004–2005 IV 1st 34 21 9 4 71 29 72 [26]
2005–2006 III 11th 30 11 8 11 40 40 41   Vasco Firmino 5 [27][28]
2012–2013 II 7th 42 15 17 10 71 54 62   Miguel Rosa 17 [29][30]
2013–2014 II 5th 42 20 10 12 77 56 70   Funes Mori 13 [31][32]
2014–2015 II 6th 46 22 11 13 81 60 77   Rui Fonte 17 [33][34]
2015–2016 II 19th 46 15 10 21 59 64 55   Sancidino Silva 6 [35][36]
2016–2017 II 4th 42 18 9 15 56 58 63   Heriberto Tavares 11 [37][38]
2017–2018 II 13th 38 14 7 17 54 60 49   Heriberto Tavares 14 [39]
2018–2019 II 4th 34 15 7 12 47 42 52   Chris Willock 11 [40]
2019–2020 II 14th 24 7 7 10 31 35 28   Daniel dos Anjos 8 [41]
2020–2021 II 8th 34 12 8 14 53 43 44   Gonçalo Ramos
  Henrique Araújo
11 [42]
2021–2022 II 5th 34 17 6 11 61 44 57   Henrique Araújo 14 [43]
2022–2023 II 15th 34 10 8 16 52 58 38   Henrique Pereira 9 [44]
Champions Relegated

Managerial statistics edit

As of match played 27 May 2023. Only competitive matches are counted, including those in the Premier League International Cup.

Name Nat From To P W D L GF GA Win % Honours Refs
Alan Murray   1999 November 1999 9 4 0 5 13 12 044.44 [45][46]
José Morais   November 1999 2001 67 24 17 26 98 94 035.82 [47][48]
António Veloso   9 June 2001 2002 38 11 11 16 35 42 028.95 [49][50]
Carlos Gomes   2002 July 2004 68 28 24 16 107 72 041.18 [51][52]
João Santos   2004 2006 64 32 17 15 111 69 050.00 2004–05 Terceira Divisão [53][54]
Luís Norton de Matos   4 May 2012 30 May 2013 42 15 17 10 71 54 035.71 [55][56]
Hélder Cristóvão   3 July 2013[57] 12 May 2018 224 93 49 82 340 309 041.52 [58][59]
Bruno Lage   1 July 2018[60] 3 January 2019 15 8 3 4 15 11 053.33 [61][62]
Nélson Veríssimo (caretaker)   3 January 2019 15 January 2019 3 0 1 2 5 7 000.00 [63][64]
Renato Paiva   15 January 2019 25 December 2020 58 21 12 25 84 85 036.21 [65]
Nélson Veríssimo   25 December 2020 28 December 2021 36 18 10 8 64 38 050.00 [64]
Paulo Mateus (caretaker)   28 December 2021 28 December 2021 1 0 0 1 1 2 000.00 [66]
António Oliveira   5 January 2022 13 May 2022 18 7 3 8 37 57 038.89 [67]
Luís Castro   2 June 2022 8 June 2023 34 10 8 16 52 58 029.41 [68]
Nélson Veríssimo   6 July 2023 Present 0 0 0 0 0 0 ! [64]

Honours edit

Winners: 2004–05

Under-23s current squad edit

As of 7 September 2023[69]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   SWE Alexander Sandahl
GK   POR João Félix
GK   POL Marcel Mendes
GK   SRB Luka Velickovic
DF   POR João Conceição
DF   POR Leandro Santos
DF   BRA Tiago Coser
DF   POR José Müller
DF   POR João Fonseca
DF   MLI Modibo Keita
DF   POR Tiago Parente
DF   POR Vladimir Mendes
MF   POR João Veloso
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   AUS Paul Okon-Engstler
MF   CAN Carlos Meotti
MF   POR Tiago Freitas
FW   POR Gonçalo Moreira
FW   POR José Melro
FW   NED Kyanno Silva
FW   POR Ivan Lima
FW   POR Ricardo Nóbrega
FW   POR Rodrigo Rêgo
FW   EST Karel Mustmaa
FW   POR Martim Fortes
FW   USA Marcos Zambrano
FW   FRA Sofiane Dris

Coaching staff edit

Position Name
Head coach Paulo Lopes[70]
Assistant coaches Pedro Valido
Paulo Mateus
Goalkeeper coach Gonçalo Reduto
Analyst coach Rodolfo Fernandes
Analyst assistant coach José Marques
Personal trainers (Benfica LAB) Luke Garcia

Last updated: 6 July 2023
Source: [69]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Players who last played for the first-team before being loaned out.

References edit

  1. ^ "Benfica B muda-se para a Tapadinha". Maisfutebol.
  2. ^ Pereira, David (17 August 2018). "Liga Revelação estreia este sábado. Sabe como funciona?" [Liga Revelação debuts this Saturday. Do you know how it works?]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Despertador encarnado tocou tarde" A Bola, 30 August 1999 (in Portuguese)
  4. ^ "II Divisão Série D". zerozero. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Sete clubes interessados nas seis vagas para equipas B" [Seven clubs interested for the six vacancies for B teams]. Relvado. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Equipas B de FC Porto, Benfica e Sporting confirmadas" [B teams of FC Porto, Benfica and Sporting have been confirmed]. Relvado. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Equipas B custam 50 mil euros de inscrição" [B teams' registration costs €50,000]. O Jogo. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  8. ^ "Liga: seis clubes inscreveram a equipa "B"" [League: six clubs register for a B team]. Maisfutebol. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  9. ^ Aaron Flanagan. "FC United of Manchester open new stadium against Benfica... and show what football fans can achieve". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  10. ^ Ben Collins (29 May 2015). "FC United 0 Benfica 1: Match report of official opening of new Broadhurst Park stadium". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  11. ^ Chegodaev, Andrey (26 May 2019). "Liverpool beat Benfica B before return from Marbella training camp". Tribuna. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Plantel" [Squad]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol, SAD B". Liga Portugal. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Gilson Benchimol continua de águia ao peito" [Gilson Benchimol remains a Benfica player]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 1 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Martim Neto emprestado" [Martim Neto out on loan]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Oficial: Leixões confirma regresso de Ricardo Teixeira por empréstimo do Benfica" [Official: Leixões confirms return of Ricardo Teixeira via Benfica loan]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Tiago Dantas loaned out". S.L. Benfica. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Henrique Araújo no FC Famalicão" [Henrique Araújo at FC Famalicão]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  19. ^ "Experience and Benfiquista DNA with an eye to the future!". S.L. Benfica. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Coaching Staff". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  22. ^ "Squad 1999–2000". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  23. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  24. ^ "Squad 2000–2001". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  25. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  26. ^ a b c "Portugal - Table of Honor" (PDF). Soccer Library. pp. 28, 30, 32.
  27. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  28. ^ "Plantel 2005–2006". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Segunda Liga 2012–2013". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  31. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  32. ^ "Liga2 Cabovisão 2013–2014". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  33. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  34. ^ "Segunda Liga Portuguesa 2014–2015". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  35. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  36. ^ "Ledman LigaPro 2015–2016". thefinalball. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  37. ^ "Fixtures". thefinalball. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  38. ^ "Ledman LigaPro 2016–2017". thefinalball. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  39. ^ Top Scorers Liga Portugal
  40. ^ Top Scorers Liga Portugal
  41. ^ Top Scorers Liga Portugal
  42. ^ Top Scorers Liga Portugal
  43. ^ Top Scorers Liga Portugal
  44. ^ Top Scorers Liga Portugal
  45. ^ "Alan Murray". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  46. ^ "Alan Murray". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  47. ^ "José Morais". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  48. ^ "José Morais". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  49. ^ "António Veloso". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  50. ^ "António Veloso". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  51. ^ "Carlos Gomes". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  52. ^ "Carlos Gomes". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  53. ^ "João Santos". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  54. ^ "João Santos". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  55. ^ "Norton de Matos". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  56. ^ "Luís Norton de Matos". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  57. ^ "Equipa entra hoje em cena" [Team gets going today]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  58. ^ "Hélder Cristóvão". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  59. ^ "Hélder Cristóvão". thefinalball. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  60. ^ "Bruno Lage is the new coach of Benfica B". S.L. Benfica. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  61. ^ "Bruno Lage". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  62. ^ "Bruno Lage". thefinalball. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  63. ^ "Nélson Veríssimo". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  64. ^ a b c "Nélson Veríssimo". thefinalball. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  65. ^ "Renato Paiva". thefinalball. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  66. ^ "Paulo Mateus - Histórico II Liga Portuguesa".
  67. ^ "António Oliveira". Zerozero.
  68. ^ Luís Castro at zerozero.pt
  69. ^ a b "Plantel" [Squad]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  70. ^ "Experience and Benfiquista DNA with an eye to the future!". S.L. Benfica. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.

External links edit

  • Official website   (in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French)
  • S.L. Benfica B at LPFP (in English and Portuguese)