S.L. Benfica (handball)


Sport Lisboa e Benfica, commonly known as Benfica, is a professional handball team based in Lisbon, Portugal. Benfica play in the top tier domestic league, the Andebol 1, and hold home matches at the Pavilhão da Luz Nº 2.
The club also has a reserve team, Benfica B, that plays in the second division.

History

Beginning

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. 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.
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.

Golden years

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, along with players such as Paulo Bunze, Swedish international Fredrik Appelgren, Dogărescu, Covaciu and Drăgăniță, goalkeeper João Santa Bárbara, wingman Mário Gentil, Vasco Vasconcelos, Luís Lopes and Rui Ferreira; Benfica won four national championships, three Portuguese Cup and two Portuguese Super Cup.

Decay

In the 1997–98 season, club president João Vale e Azevedo decided to shut down the section. It was restarted in the next season, but from the Regional Championship, four divisions away from the top flight.

Rebuilding years

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

Recent years

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

Results in international competition

Note: Benfica score is always listed first.
SeasonCompetitionRoundOppositionScore
1962–63European CupRound 1 Atlético Madrid BM13–6
1975–76European CupRound 1 CB AlicanteWithdrew
1982–83European CupRound 1 FC Barcelona25–32
18–32
1983–84European CupRound 1 ATSE Graz25–25
20–29
1987–88EHF Cup Winners' CupRound 1 Atlético Madrid BM21–20
11–29
1989–90European CupRound 1 FC Barcelona20–18
17–28
1990–91European CupRound 1 Red Boys Differdange28–18
26–28
1990–91European CupRound 2 USAM Nîmes23–21
23–31
1993–94EHF City Cup1/16 Finals Pallamano Rubiera27–19
20–22
1993–94EHF City Cup1/8 Finals ETO Győri24–21
19–17
1993–94EHF City Cup1/4 Finals PSG Asnieres Hand-Ball27–32
25–28
1995–96EHF City Cup1/16 Finals ZMC Amicitia Zürich19–30
30–27
1996–97EHF City Cup1/16 Finals Borec Veles18–15
32–14
1996–97EHF City Cup1/8 Finals Horn Sittardia21–14
15–29
1997–98EHF City Cup1/16 Finals ESN Vrilissia26–21
30–12
1997–98EHF City Cup1/8 Finals Trabzon Belediyespor27–20
30–30
1997–98EHF City Cup1/4 Finals Academia Octavio Vigo22–32
25–23
1998–99EHF City Cup1/16 Finals BSV Wacker Thun0–10
0–10
2002–03EHF Cup Winners' CupRound 3 Dennis Turku14–26
17–25
2007–08EHF Challenge CupRound 3 HC "Mojkovac"46–22
46–26
2007–08EHF Challenge Cup1/8 Final Shakhtar-Academiya33–26
21–25
2007–08EHF Challenge Cup1/4 Final CSU Poli-Izometal Timişoara32–22
22–21
2007–08EHF Challenge Cup1/2 Final UCM Sport Reșița31–26
25–32
2008–09EHF Champions LeagueQualification Round 1 A1 Bregenz38–34
28–35
2008–09EHF CupRound 2 RK Lovćen26–28
24–23
2009–10EHF CupRound 2 H/C "Tbilisi"34–21
29–25
2009–10EHF CupRound 3 SKIF Krasnodar29–28
35–30
2009–10EHF CupRound 4 TBV Lemgo30–27
18–31
2010–11EHF Challenge CupRound 3 CSA Steaua București43–29
23–29
2010–11EHF Challenge CupLast 16 HC "Motor-ZNTU-ZAS"33–28
30–23
2010–11EHF Challenge CupQuarter-final Radnički Kragujevac28–29
29–21
2010–11EHF Challenge CupSemi-finals Partizan Dunav Osiguranje30–36
33–25
2010–11EHF Challenge CupFinals RK Cimos Koper27–27
27–31
2011–12EHF Cup Winners' CupRound 3 HC Lovćen-Cetinje25–21
26–14
2011–12EHF Cup Winners' CupLast 16 Pandurii Târgu Jiu33–27
41–24
2011–12EHF Cup Winners' CupQuarter-final HC Celje Pivovarna Lasko23–29
31–30
2012–13EHF CupRound 1 Pfadi Winterthur28–21
27–27
2012–13EHF CupRound 2 Loacker Südtirol Team32–20
40–25
2012–13EHF CupRound 3 HBC Nantes21–29
28–21
2013–14EHF CupRound 2 Haukar34–22
34–19
2013–14EHF CupRound 3 Pick Szeged25–31
24–25
2014–15EHF Challenge CupRound 3 FyllingenBergen33–32
28–25
2014–15EHF Challenge CupLast 16 HB Dudelange36–30
28–24
2014–15EHF Challenge CupQuarter-final KS Azoty-Puławy37–29
32–31
2014–15EHF Challenge CupSemi-final Odorheiu Secuiesc29–31
25–27
2015–16EHF Challenge CupRound 3 ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar28–26
34–26
2015–16EHF Challenge CupLast 16 A.C. Filippos Verias34–14
23–26
2015–16EHF Challenge CupQuarter-final St. Petersburg HC24–20
25–27
2015–16EHF Challenge CupSemi-finals FyllingenBergen35–22
29–27
2015–16EHF Challenge CupFinals ABC/UMinho22–28
29–25
2016–17EHF CupQualification Round 2 Käerjeng31–26
33–30
2016–17EHF CupQualification Round 3 KS Azoty-Puławy29–34
24–18
2016–17EHF CupGroup D MT Melsungen22–32
26–24
2016–17EHF CupGroup D Helvetia Anaitasuna33–28
28–35
2016–17EHF CupGroup D Riihimäki Cocks23–21
26–25
2017–18EHF CupQualification Round 1 HC Dinamo Pančevo39–20
28–35
2017–18EHF CupQualification Round 2 Gwardia Opole28–24
21–26
2018–19EHF CupQualification Round 2 FH Hafnarfjordur37–32
34–31
2018–19EHF CupQualification Round 3 TSV Hannover-Burgdorf36–41
33–33
2019–20EHF CupQualification Round 2 RK Dubrava29–28
34–16
2019–20EHF CupQualification Round 3 RK Nexe16/17 Nov
23/24 Nov

Team

Current squad

;Goalkeepers
;Left Wingers
;Right Wingers
;Line players
;Left Backs
;Central Backs
;Right Backs
; Joining
; Leaving
According to Benfica's official website

Domestic competitions

According to Benfica's official website