S.L. Benfica (handball)

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.[3] 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.[4] 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,[5] along with players such as Paulo Bunze, Swedish international Fredrik Appelgren,[6] Dogărescu, Covaciu and Drăgăniță,[7] goalkeeper João Santa Bárbara, wingman Mário Gentil,[8] Vasco Vasconcelos, Luís Lopes and Rui Ferreira;[9] 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.[10] It was restarted in the next season, but from the Regional Championship, four divisions away from the top flight.[11]

In 2005, after years in anonymity, Benfica hired former ABC Braga coach, Aleksander Donner, on a three-year deal.[12] 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.[13] In the following season, Benfica finally achieved their first league title since 1990.[14] Despite the success, Aleksander Donner did not renew his contract at the end of the season.[15]

To replace Donner, Benfica hired José António Silva, who won three titles in three years: the 2008–09 League Cup, 2010–11 Portuguese Cup[16] and 2010 Super Cup.[17] In the 2010–11 season, Benfica reached the final of the EHF Challenge Cup, but lost to Slovene side RK Cimos Koper.[18] In 2011–12, José António Silva was replaced by another former ABC Braga coach, Jorge Rito.[19] With him, Benfica finished fourth in league for the first time.[20] On 2 September 2012, Jorge Rito won Benfica's fourth Super Cup trophy.[21] The season ended with only a second place in the league.[22] 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.[23][24] On 3 April 2016, Benfica, who had beaten rivals FC Porto in the semi-finals the day before,[25] beat Lisbon rivals Sporting in the final and conquered their fifth Portuguese Cup, ending a four-year trophy drought.[26][27]

Squad for the 2020-21 season

Transfers for the 2020–21 season

• Portuguese League

Winners (7): 1961–62, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1989–90, 2007–08

• Portuguese Cup

Winners (6): 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2017–18

• Portuguese League Cup

Winners (2): 2006–07, 2008–09

• Portuguese Super Cup

Winners (6): 1989, 1993, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018

• Limburgse Handbal Dagen

Winners: 2010

• EHF Challenge Cup

Runners-up (2): 2010–11, 2015–16