1997–98 S.L. Benfica season

Benfica
1997–98 season
President Manuel Damásio
(until November 1997)
João Vale e Azevedo
Head coach Manuel José
(until 20 September 1997)
Mário Wilson
(interin until 1 November 1997)
Graeme Souness
Stadium Estádio da Luz
Primeira Divisão 2nd
Taça de Portugal Semi-finals
UEFA Cup First round
Top goalscorer League:
Nuno Gomes (18)
All:
Nuno Gomes (22)
Highest home attendance 70,000 vs Braga
(1 March 1998)
Lowest home attendance 5,000 vs Varzim
(21 December 1997)
Home colours
Away colours
← 1996–97 1998–99 →

The 1997–98 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 94th season in existence and the club's 64th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. It involved Benfica competing in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal. Benfica qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing 3rd in the previous Primeira Divisão.[1] It covers the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998.

After three seasons without a league title, Benfica signed more than ten players in an attempt to regain competitiveness. Important signings were 21 year-old Nuno Gomes who scored 15 league goals in the past season, and together with Sánchez (also signed), were vital in denying Benfica the opportunity to retain the Portuguese Cup in the 1997 Taça de Portugal Final. An addition with high expectations was Paulo Nunes, the 1996 Brasileirão top-scorer, which was meant to partner with João Pinto in the attack, but ended clashing with him.[2] Manuel José briefly led the team, being replaced due to poor results after five games. Mário Wilson returned for a third spell of just a month, until Scottish manager Graeme Souness assumed the team in November. Although not an immediate success, changes in the squad during the winter transfer market made instant impact, with an ensuing seven-game winning streak helping the team secure a second-place finish, and benefiting from recent changes in format, qualify for the UEFA Champions League.[3]

Season summary

After a season that broke negative records, Benfica started the new one hoping to improve its previous year's performance. Manuel José continued as manager, with the opportunity to rebuild the squad in his preference. Despite many misses, new signings Nuno Gomes, Gamarra and Scott Minto jumped immediately to the starting eleven.

The season opened with a convincing home against S.C. Campomaiorense, but this impact was immediately cut short. In the first game as visitor, Benfica conceded the first loss; in the next matchday, the club had to fight not to lose at home against Académica.[3] In the first European game, a second loss, against Bastia, which had qualified using the Intertoto Cup.[3][4] A second league loss in four games led to the immediate dismissal of José, as disciplinary problems also emerged, mainly the incident involving João Pinto and a fireman after the game in Vila do Conde.[5][3]

Benfica resorted to Mário Wilson for a third time in two years, until a permanent substitute was found.[3] The experienced manager was unable to revert the one-nill deficit brought from first leg of the UEFA Cup, ending European football in September for the first time since 1990–91. The situation did not improve in the league, with a five-game win less spree, seeing the club drop to eleventh.[6] Wilson's influence only made effect on late October, with three straight wins, one counting for the Portuguese Cup.[4]

After a presidential change, Benfica hired Graeme Souness on 1 November. The Scottish manager had spells at Rangers, Liverpool, and had worked abroad, in Turkey and Italy, but was mostly unheard of in Portuguese football. In his first month, the helped the team climb from sixth to fourth, only three points from second place.[7] Despite this, Benfica was still losing much needed points, entering the Clássico against Porto with an eleven-point difference.[7] After a losing in Estádio das Antas, and with two more points lost at home, the winter signings, Poborský, Brian Deane and Luís Carlos began to impact the team performance, helping the club start a winning run, that saw them climb to second place, and beat Sporting C.P. by four-one in Alvalade in February.[3] The only downside was the semi-final exit in the Portuguese cup, at the hands of S.C. Braga; the fourth time in history that Braga had eliminated Benfica (1966, 1979, and 1982).[3]

In March, even though the team lost five points, the reappearance of João Pinto after an injury suffered in the Clássico gave Souness one more option to partner with Nuno Gomes.[3] Isolated in second and with Porto clinching the title in late April, the team faced them only fighting for their honour. With a three-nil victory, the team exacted revenge from the defeat in January.[8] The season ended with a seven-one victory over Leça; the biggest home win in the league, as Souness was certain to remain in charge.[8]

Competitions

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Overall record

Competition First match Last match Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win % Source
Primeira Divisão 24 August 1997 17 May 1998 34 20 8 6 62 29 +33 58.82 [9]
Portuguese Cup 26 October 1997 24 February 1998 6 4 1 1 11 5 +6 66.67 [9]
UEFA Cup 16 September 1997 30 September 1997 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 00.00 [9]
Total 42 24 10 8 73 35 +38 57.14

Primeira Liga

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Porto (C) 34 24 5 5 75 38+37 77 1998–99 UEFA Champions League Group stage
2 Benfica 34 20 8 6 62 29+33 68 1998–99 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
3 Vitória de Guimarães 34 17 8 9 42 25+17 59 1998–99 UEFA Cup First round

Results by round

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
Result W L D L D D W W W D W D L W L D W W W W W W W D W W L W W W D W L W
Position 1 5 7 11 11 11 7 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 6 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Last updated: 26 June 2013.
Source: FootballPortugal.net
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Matches

Taça de Portugal

Main article: 1997–98 Taça de Portugal

UEFA Cup

Main article: 1997–98 UEFA Cup

First round

Player statistics

The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member Manuel José (manager), Mário Wilson (manager) and Graeme Souness (manager).[10][9]

Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 1997-98 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.

No. Pos Nat Player TotalPrimeira Liga Portuguese Cup UEFA Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK Belgium Michel Preud'homme 33 -26 28 -22 4 -4 1 0
2 DF Morocco Tahar El Khalej 25 6 21 5 2 1 2 0
3 DF Portugal Jorge Soares 6 0 5 0 0 0 1 0
4‡ DF Paraguay Carlos Gamarra 17 1 13 0 2 1 2 0
5‡ DF Portugal Paulo Madeira 26 0 22 0 4 0 0 0
6 MF Portugal Tiago Pereira 24 1 21 1 1 0 2 0
7‡ FW Brazil Paulo Nunes 8 2 5 2 1 0 2 0
8 MF Portugal João Pinto 30 7 25 6 3 1 2 0
9 MF Romania Basarab Panduru 20 4 15 2 5 2 0 0
10‡ MF Bolivia Erwin Sánchez 30 6 26 6 3 0 1 0
11 FW Sweden Martin Pringle 19 3 14 2 3 1 2 0
12‡ GK Russia Ovchinnikov 9 -9 6 -7 2 -1 1 -1
13 DF Brazil Ronaldo Guiaro 35 0 27 0 6 0 2 0
14‡ MF Brazil Leônidas 5 0 4 0 0 0 1 0
15‡ MF Brazil Amaral 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0
16‡ DF England Scott Minto 25 0 21 0 4 0 0 0
17‡ MF Netherlands Gaston Taument 20 1 16 0 2 1 2 0
18 DF Morocco Abdelkrim El Hadrioui 21 0 17 0 2 0 2 0
19 MF Portugal Bruno Caires 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
20‡ MF Portugal Jordão 8 0 6 0 1 0 1 0
21‡ FW Portugal Nuno Gomes 40 22 33 18 6 4 1 0
22 MF Portugal José Calado 37 2 29 2 6 0 2 0
23 MF Portugal Edgar Pacheco 13 3 12 3 1 0 0 0
24 GK Portugal Paulo Lopes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25‡ MF Czech Republic Karel Poborský 23 5 19 5 4 0 0 0
26‡ MF Portugal Luís Carlos 23 1 19 1 4 0 0 0
27‡ MF Ukraine Serhiy Kandaurov 9 1 7 1 2 0 0 0
28‡ FW England Brian Deane 17 7 14 7 3 0 0 0
34‡ FW Brazil Duda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36‡ DF Portugal Sousa 30 1 25 1 5 0 0 0
37 MF Portugal Hugo Leal 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
38‡ DF Portugal José Soares 5 0 3 0 2 0 0 0
39‡ DF Portugal Bruno Basto 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Transfers

[1]

In

Entry date Position Player From club
July 1997 ST Nuno Gomes Boavista
July 1997 AM Erwin Sánchez Boavista
July 1997 CB Paulo Madeira Belenenses
July 1997 CB Carlos Gamarra Internacional
July 1997 GK Ovchinnikov Lokomotiv Moscow
July 1997 CM Jordão Estrela Amadora
July 1997 RW Gaston Taument Feyenoord
July 1997 LB Scott Minto Chelsea
July 1997 FW Paulo Nunes Grêmio[11]
July 1997 LW Leônidas Corinthians Alagoano
July 1997 AM Deco Corinthians Alagoano
July 1997 RW Duda Corinthians Alagoano
August 1997 RB Sousa Alverca
December 1997 DM Amaral Parma
December 1997 LW Luís Carlos Salgueiros
December 1997 ST Brian Deane Sheffield United
December 1997 CM Serhiy Kandaurov Maccabi Haifa
28 December 1997 RW Karel Poborský Manchester United[12]
January 1998 CB José Soares Alverca
January 1998 LB Bruno Basto Alverca

Out

Exit date Position Player To club
July 1997 GK Fernando Brassard Varzim
July 1997 CB Paredão Sheffield Wednesday
July 1997 CB Bermúdez Boca Juniors
July 1997 RB Marinho Campomaiorense
July 1997 LB Pedro Henriques Porto
July 1997 LB Lúcio Wagner Sevilla
July 1997 DM Amaral Parma
July 1997 CM Luís Gustavo Cruzeiro
July 1997 FB Nélson Morais Alverca
July 1997 AM Valdo Filho Nagoya Grampus
July 1997 CM Paulão Académica
July 1997 AM Iliev Slavia Sofia
July 1997 ST Hassan Nader Farense
July 1997 FW Mauro Airez Estrela da Amadora
July 1997 ST Valdir Atlético Mineiro
July 1997 FW Akwá Académica
July 1997 RW Glenn Helder Arsenal
August 1997 DM Bruno Caires Celta de Vigo
January 1998 FW Paulo Nunes Palmeiras
January 1998 CB Carlos Gamarra Corinthians
January 1998 RW Gaston Taument Anderlecht
January 1998 CM Jordão Braga
January 1998 LW Leônidas Arsenal Tula

Out by loan

Exit date Position Player To club Return date
July 1997 DM Jamir Flamengo 30 June 1998
July 1997 AM Deco Alverca 30 June 1998

References

  1. 1 2 "Squad 1997-98". ForaDeJogo.
  2. ↑ Christian Carvalho Cruz; Sérgio Garcia (March 1997). "Perigo: 50 maneiras do Brasil perder a Copa" [Danger: 50 ways that Brasil could lose the World Cup]. Placar (in Portuguese). Brazil (1137): 42. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tovar 2012, p. 556.
  4. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 561.
  5. ↑ "João Pinto assume-se como "capitão da nau"" [João Pinto assumes as the ship captain]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 October 1999. Retrieved 24 September 2014. In the previous season, João Pinto was physically ok, but a punishment from the Liga (due to a alleged assault on a fireman in Vila do Conde) prevented the number 8 from playing in the preseason games
  6. ↑ Tovar 2012, p. 557.
  7. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 558.
  8. 1 2 Tovar 2012, p. 560.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Tovar 2012, p. 562.
  10. ↑ "Sport Lisboa e Benfica Squad 1997-98". footballzz.co.uk/.
  11. ↑ "Paulo Nunes vai para o Benfica por US$ 10 milhões" [Paulo Nunes will go to Benfica por $10 million]. Folha Online. 8 July 1997. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "Football: Benfica and Souness snap up Poborsky". The Independent. 28 December 1998. Retrieved 4 September 2015.

Bibliography

  • Tovar, Rui Miguel (2012). Almanaque do Benfica [Benfica Almanac]. Portugal: Lua de Papel. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8. 
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