S.L. Benfica (basketball)

Benfica
Benfica logo
NicknameAs Águias (The Eagles)
Os Encarnados (The Reds)
LeaguesLiga Portuguesa de Basquetebol
Champions League
Founded20 March 1927 (97 years ago) (1927-03-20)[1]
HistoryS.L. Benfica
(1927–present)
ArenaPavilhão Fidelidade
Capacity2,400
LocationLisbon, Portugal
Team coloursRed and white
  
PresidentRui Costa
Team managerJoão Nuno Crespo[2]
Head coachNorberto Alves
Championships30 Portuguese Leagues
23 Portuguese Cups
15 Portuguese Supercups
13 Portuguese League Cups
Retired numbers2 (5, 7)
Websiteslbenfica.pt

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɨˈpɔɾ liʒˈβoɐ i βɐ̃jˈfikɐ] ), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional basketball team based in Lisbon, Portugal, that plays in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB), where they are the current champions. Founded in 1927, it is the senior representative side of the basketball section of multi-sports club S.L. Benfica.

In June 2007, the club decided to leave the professional top league, then known as LCB, and join the Proliga, a league organized by the Portuguese Basketball Federation. From 2008 onwards, they returned to the LPB after the federation took control of the competition.

Benfica is the most successful Portuguese club, having the record for most championships (30), cups (23), league cups (13), super cups (15), and other national competitions plus the Supertaça da Lusofonia, totalling 86 trophies. It is also the Portuguese team that advanced the furthest in the European top club championship, now known as EuroLeague.

Some of their most memorable moments were European victories against clubs that have won the Euroleague, such as Virtus Bologna, Real Madrid, Cantù, Cibona, Joventut Badalona, Panathinaikos, Partizan, CSKA Moscow, and Varese.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Along with its several youth teams, which play in their respective top division championships, Benfica also has a developmental basketball team, Benfica B, that plays in the Proliga, the second highest tier in Portugal.[11]

  1. ^ a b "The History". glorioso-triplo.blogspot.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  2. ^ Guerreiro, Luís Afonso (26 September 2018). "Team Managers: Os rostos por detrás das equipas" [Team Managers: The faces behind the teams]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Benfica vs Virtus Bologna final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Real Madrid vs Benfica final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  5. ^ "Benfica vs Pallacanestro Cantù final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Benfica vs Cibona final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  7. ^ "Joventut Badalona vs Benfica final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Benfica vs Panathinaikos final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  9. ^ "Benfica vs Partizan final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  10. ^ "Benfica vs CSKA final score". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  11. ^ "SL Benfica B". Federação Portuguesa de Basquetebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 October 2012.