In Benfica (and Cod) They Trust
Naïve GAA fan visits the spiritual home of Portuguese soccer
On the Thursday before Christmas I was in Porto, Portugal, strolling around the city centre amid the hustle and bustle of the last days before the holidays. If Lisbon is the polished diamond of the country, Porto would be the rustic iron gate. Functional, robust and malleable. There is a hardiness to people in the north, and a more profound desire for traditional ways and methods. This can be seen in the most important shopping purchases of the season — the food.
Many of the shops in the Porto streets have remained the same as for 5 decades and more. Large piles and containers of dried fruits, Chestnuts, Almonds, spices, all displayed like in a Victorian grocers, ready for weighing and packaging. There is nothing romantic or symbolic about these boutiques however, they are indispensable institutions of the shopping experience. They also supply that mainstay of the Portuguese Christmas table — Cod, or in the local parlance, Bacalhau.
Perhaps this was the product that produced immense lines streaking out of these shops this day. Even my Portuguese wife was taken aback with the amount of people queuing: young and old, professionals and the elderly, all loyal clients of this bastion of Portuguese grocery. As we regressed to Lisbon, it struck me that whatever the house, whatever the budget, damn near every house in Portugal that evening would be eating some variation of cod and potatoes. It is an almost non-negotiable staple of the Christmas tradition, enforcing a rare uniformity in a season so dominated by consumerism and expensive differentiation.
Also in Lisbon, another tradition unlike any other, a Benfica home game.
Benfica, Portugal´s best known soccer club has always prized itself on being a club with a membership, as opposed to merely a fanbase. While Bayern Munich and others have now surpassed the Lisbon club in this measurable, membership means a huge amount and indeed can save large amounts. After paying your annual sub, members receive significant discounts on the season ticket. The Estadio da Luz has a season ticket occupancy of about 62%, on par with the like of Manchester City who in 2016 recorded a 65% season ticket occupancy. Entering the stadium on Sunday afternoon, it was a lovely sight to see regular seat neighbours greeting each other while taking their seat: hugs, kisses, embraces that make Benfica´s slick marketing materials seem more genuine than you might think.
The friendships that build up in the stands here clearly help build an ambience that is special, even among the most patriotic of European stadiums
Pragmatism is a core belief among football supporters around the globe however, so once a year, the Benfiquistas queue at the stadium, sometimes overnight, for the chance to choose a better seat for the upcoming season. Twice a year too, the community unites for a full and half marathon that runs around the council area or freguesia that they call Benfica, with closed roads and a grand finish line in the stadium, something that clearly means a lot to the members who participate.
With the history that Benfica have created over the years, including an epic and historical connection with Glasgow Celtic, with the shadow of the Black Panther Eusébio over the club, it would be easy to imagine Benfica as being as the blue bloods of Portuguese football. While it is true to say that they have a national and international appeal as of for example, Manchester United, (even one of their supporters groups are called the Red Devils), Benfica remain very much the blue collar team of Lisbon.
Even though their stadium has been nicknamed the “bathroom”, because of its tiled facade, Sporting Lisbon are very much the aristocratic team of the city. Their extensive financial and scouting resources have meant that over the years, the best Portuguese players of the past 30 years, Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, have lined out in Green and White, before ascending to the more brilliant heights of the global football world.
Without much doubt, Luisão is considered the greatest Benfica player of the modern era. A 14 year club career which only ended in 2017, the 6ft 5 centre back was a mainstay of the Benfica defence throughout his outstanding career which encompassed 20 titles, a record 414 games as club captain, as well as 44 caps with his native Brazil. Spurning several big money offers to play overseas, he is emblematic of the working class roots of the club, and the quintessential Benfica hero. For now, the club have embraced their another Brazilian, the inspirational no 10, Jonas. With the club since 2014, Benfica have found a modern day hero who in 2017/18 found the net 34 times in 30 games.
Only five teams have ever won the first division league title in Portugal. Benfica, Sporting, Porto, Belenenses and Boavista. Braga have pushed their way into the top 4 in the country, and indeed before Sunday’s contest with Benfica, saw themselves in third place, 1 point ahead of the SLB (Sport Lisbon and Benfica).
On arrival to the stadium, its clear the national appeal that Benfica holds. Coaches have arrived 4 hours ago, bringing fans belonging to supporters clubs from all over the country. If this was the Lisbon Derby, TV stations would be carrying the marches of each supporters group to the stadium, with build-up from early in the day. As it was at Christmas, with a less flammable combination of teams, the TV stations are live broadcasting from supermarkets, showing people making the last purchases before Christmas.
Public transport brings the vast majority of spectators to the stadiums, but the city enjoys a great tradition of motorbikes and scooters, so huge piles of 2 wheelers are scattered around the stadium, ready for a quick exit afterwards. A new short term e-bike rental system has proved very popular, with dozens of fans arriving on these new power assisted bicycles.
Benfica’s skill in building solidarity and community within its own fanbase can be seen from even outside the stadium where a large fan zone has been constructed and is a major site for fans to convene before games. There are many ‘caravans’ scattered around the area selling hot food and beers, but inside this zone Benfica have created a fantastic area to start the stadium experience on their terms, even if you don’t have a ticket.
Beers, Buddies and Bifanas, the Portuguese equivalent of a burger are all available. Concrete benches and a covered area built facing towards a stage with an empresário building the atmosphere through games, competitions and songs. That’s where the beer ends however. After some problems with over-serving, the club recently made the decision to ban alcohol inside the stadium.
Inside the stadium the pre-game rituals are many, and rich. The team has a multitude of chants, slogans, and nicknames. SLB, ‘O Glorioso´, E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one — also a slogan of the United States). Another chant ‘Carrega Benfica’ has been turned into a pre-match hype song featuring two of Portugal´s best known hip hop artists, fusing the team’s history with the musical tradition of its ever diverse public. Then of course there is the epic swooping flight of the team mascot `Águia Vitória´ (Victory eagle), who performs a graceful elliptical descent, before landing on his perch at midfield. But the Benfiquistas aren’t done yet. Next comes the official team anthem, in the traditional Portuguese Fado style. It is a mournful, gentle, allegro tune, but sung with great vigour and it has to be said, by the stadium’s great majority.
Finally, its time to play football.
But then, strikes up another chorus. The south end of the stadium is the property of the most extreme of the Supporters groups, ‘No Name’, into where goes neither police nor stadium security. Throughout the entire game, they mosh, create crashing piles running down the stadium aisle, and generally cause havoc. It’s all relatively harmless however, and for all their tomfoolery, the ‘No Name’ provide the soundtrack to the match, never stopping for breath throw the whole game except to thrash about wildly for the six Benfica goals that would come. They would also enact a stirring call and response chant with the Red Devils at the opposite end of the stadium that quieted the entire audience.
The game itself struggled to catch fire, but when it did, it blazed. Due to the disparity between the two supporters groups, you would hardly notice the Braga goals going in. The singing never stopped, the rhythm continued, and I actually looked over to the stadium screen to make sure the goal had actually been scored.
Small as the Braga contingent were, at half time some trouble kicked off in their third floor section and produced a fairly violent baton charge from the Police. Such was the reaction that a section of team officials were removed from their own supporters area for fear of their safety. The incident saw the stadium security move in and encircle the condensed Braga group, and merited a short clip on the main news bulletin in the morning.
Benfica entered at the break two goals to the good, and the excellent left back Grimaldo initiated the second half deluge of goals, getting the deserved goal full backs so rarely get (unless your name is Denis Irwin).
The Benfiquistas were already in full party mode, with the team playing wonderful, risky open football when goal six went in. There was an incredulous, sarcastic ovation for the frankly ridiculous goal from André Almeida who apeears to have a Gary Breen type cult hero status for being the player Benfica fans love to hate. When his off balance, looping volley soared into the top left hand corner, SLB were truly in dream land. O Glorioso!
For a sports fan much more used to 50/50 supporters groups, integrated seating and much less pomp and circumstance, it was a phenomenal experience. The club have done much to integrate all that is local, and reinforce their roots in the city, while embracing the truly global appeal that Benfica retains.
On the pitch, the result against Braga combined with a loss for Sporting Lisbon meant that Benfica jumped to 2nd in the table that evening. While a 4 game wining streak had led into that game, there was the feeling that the team had not yet found any kind of attacking flow. It looks that they might have found something on that Sunday evening in Lisbon.
I’ve also reassured my brother-in-law that any time Benfica need the luck of the Irish again, I will answer the call. Carrega Benfica !
CK
