S.L. Benfica (roller hockey)

Benfica
Full name	Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Founded	19 August 1917
Chairman	José Trindade
Manager	Pedro Nunes
Home ground	Pavilhão Fidelidade (Capacity 2,400)
League	First Division
Season	2014–15
Position	1st
Official Website	slbenfica.pt
Home Away

Active departments of Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Football	Futsal	Basketball
Roller hockey	Handball	Volleyball
Rugby union	Athletics	Swimming
Table tennis	Billiards	Canoeing

Sport Lisboa e Benfica is a professional roller hockey team based in Lisbon, Portugal. Benfica play in the Portuguese first division where they are the most successful club, having won a record 22 titles. They are the current champions (without defeat).^[1] Benfica is also the world's oldest club to compete without interruption.

International success

Benfica's only European trophy up to the season of 2009–10 was a single CERS Cup won in the 1990–91 season but in the 2010–11 season the club's European fate began to change. They made their way up to the 2010–11 CERS Cup Final Four, eventually winning the trophy for the second time (deafeating CP Vilanova in the final by 6–4, at their home ground).^[2] With this victory, Benfica had the chance to play the CERH Continental Cup against the CERH European League winner HC Liceo La Coruña. The opponent refused to play the cup's final and Benfica won it by 10–0 (disqualification), conquering their first Continental Cup.^[3]

On 2 June 2013, Benfica won its first CERH European League defeating FC Porto at Dragão Caixa by 6–5 (aet), in an all Portuguese final.^[4] That made them the fourth Portuguese team to lift the most important clubs European trophy. On 2 November 2013, Benfica won its second Continental Cup defeating CE Vendrell of Spain (5–3, 5–0), thus becoming the only Portuguese club to win the trophy twice.^[5] On 16 November 2013, Benfica won the FIRS Intercontinental Cup, defeating Sport Recife by 10–3 and winning the only missing trophy for the club and the second one for Portuguese roller hockey, after the 1992 Óquei de Barcelos win.^[6]

On 15 March 2015, Benfica became the second European club, after CP Voltregà, to win CERH's most important club title in both men and women competitions, after defeating the French team Coutras in the final of the Women's European Cup. Domestically, earlier that season, the women's section had conquered the national Super Cup on 8 November 2014, and later also won their third consecutive national championship on 8 June 2015, and their second consecutive domestic cup on 14 June, accomplishing the treble, and winning all five competitions they played, including the Torneio de Abertura.^[7]

Men's honours

2012–13 CERH European League trophy (right) at the Museu Benfica

According to S.L. Benfica website^[8]

Domestic

• Portuguese First Division: 22 (record)
  • 1950–51, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2011–12, 2014–15
• Portuguese Cup: 15 (record)
  • 1962–63, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Portuguese Super Cup: 7
  • 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2012

European

• CERH European League: 1
  • 2012–13
• CERS Cup: 2
  • 1990–91, 2010–11
• CERH Continental Cup: 2
  • 2011, 2013

Worldwide

• FIRS Intercontinental Cup: 1
  • 2013

Other

• Montreux Nations Cup: 1
  • 1962
• CERH Ciudad de Vigo Tournament: 1
  • 2008

Women's honours

Domestic

• Portuguese League: 3
  • 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Portuguese Cup: 2
  • 2013–14, 2014–15
• Portuguese Super Cup: 3
  • 2013, 2014, 2015
• Opening Tournament of Lisbon Roller Sports Association: 3
  • 2012, 2013, 2014^[9][10]

European

• CERH Women's European Cup: 1
  • 2014–15^[11][12]

Players

Men's current squad

As of 28 May 2015^[13]

Goalkeepers 01 Pedro Henriques 10 Guillem Trabal Defenders 02 Valter Neves (captain) 04 Diogo Rafael

Midfielders 14 Tiago Rafael Forwards 05 Carlos Nicolía 07 Jordi Adroher 08 Marc Torra Universals 09 João Rodrigues 44 Miguel Rocha

Technical staff Pedro Nunes (head coach) José Carlos Manaças (assistant coach) João Paulo Almeida (club doctor) David Amaro (physiotherapist) Tiago Vaz (physiologist)

References

1. http://desporto.sapo.pt/hoquei/campeonato_portugal/artigo/2015/05/16/hoquei-em-patins-sporting-falha-liga-europeia-benfica-acaba-sem-derrotas
2. "Hóquei: Benfica conquista Taça CERS". Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). May 8, 2011.
3. "Benfica conquista Taça Continental sem jogar". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). November 5, 2011.
4. "Benfica sagra-se campeão europeu de hóquei em patins pela primeira vez". Público (in Portuguese). June 2, 2013.
5. "Benfica conquista Taça Continental de hóquei em patins". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). November 2, 2013.
6. "Benfica conquista Taça Intercontinental". Jornal Record (in Portuguese). November 16, 2013.
7. "Benfica renova titulo da Taça de Portugal feminina" [Benfica renew women's Portuguese Cup title] (in Portuguese). Record. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
8. "Palmarés" [Honours] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
9. "Hóquei feminino conquista o Torneio de Abertura da APL" (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
10. "À procura do pleno!" (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
11. "SL Benfica won the Women's Cup, US Coutras defeated 5-2 in the final match". CERH. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
12. "SL Benfica é Campeão Europeu!" [SL Benfica is European Champion!] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
13. "Plantel" [Squad] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 30 September 2015.

External links

• Official website