The 1965–66 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 62st season in existence and the club's 32st consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 August 1965 to 31 July 1966. Domestically, Benfica competed in the Primeira Divisão and Taça de Portugal, while internationally participated in the European Cup.
Béla Guttmann returned for a fourth season as manager, the squad underwent several changes: Ângelo Martins and Domingos Fernandes departed, while Alfredo José Ferreira Pinto and Nélson Fernandes joined the club. Amidst high expectations what followed was a disappointing season finishing second in the league, being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal, and losing 8–3 on aggregate to Manchester United in the European Cup, failing to qualify for the European Cup for the first time five years.
Season summary Like in the previous three seasons, despite winning the league, failure to achieve Benfica's main objective, the European Cup, led the board of directors to part ways with Elek Schwartz and bring back two-time European Cup winner Béla Guttmann.
During the summer transfer window, the squad underwent several changes: Ângelo Martins and Domingos Fernandes departed, while Alfredo José Ferreira Pinto and Nélson Fernandes joined the team.
Pre-season started with a participation in the Ramón de Carranza Trophy, where Benfica defeated Real Betis 2–1 in the semi-finals before losing 3–2 to Real Zaragoza in the final. Next they overcame Belenenses 4–3 to reach the final of the Taça de Honra, but were defeated 2–1 by Sporting.
The official season began on 12 September with a 2–2 draw against Académica in the opening round of the Primeira Divisão, followed by a 2–0 win over CUF and a 2–0 away loss to Porto. In European competition, Benfica defeated Stade Dudelange 18–0 on aggregate.
In October, Benfica began with league victories over Varzim and Lusitano de Évora, but then suffered a 4–2 home defeat to Sporting, left the team in fourth place, three points behind the leaders. In November, Benfica opened with a 2–0 win over Oliveirense in the first round of the Taça de Portugal. This was followed by a draw in the second round of the European Cup against Levski Sofia, a league draw with Beira-Mar, and an 8–2 victory over Barreirense. The month ended with Benfica in third place, four points of first place.
In December, Benfica won their first three league matches, but a 4–4 draw with Vitória de Setúbal meant the gap to the top remained at four points. In Europe, after the first-leg draw, Benfica defeated Levski Sofia 3–2 to advance to the quarter-finals. Benfica began the new year with a 2–0 win over Belenenses, closing the first half of the league season with 19 points, four behind Sporting. In January, the team recorded three more victories, including a 3–1 win over Porto, reducing the gap to two points. However, a 1–1 draw with Varzim at the end of the month saw the difference increase again to three points. February brought mixed results: four consecutive league wins, including a 2–0 away victory over Sporting, allowed Benfica to draw level on points with their rivals. In the European Cup, the team travelled to England to face Manchester United, losing 3–2. Following a strong February, March proved disappointing. In the league, a 2–1 win over Leixões was followed by a 3–2 away defeat to Vitória de Guimarães, dropping Benfica to second place, one point behind Sporting. In the Taça de Portugal, a 2–2 away draw and a 5–1 home victory over Portimonense secured passage to the quarter-finals. In Europe, however, a 5–1 home defeat to Manchester United eliminated the team from the European Cup.
After a difficult month, Benfica closed the league campaign with two wins and a draw in their final three matches, finishing in second place, one point behind Sporting. In the Taça de Portugal, a 5–4 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals led to elimination, marking the club's first trophyless season in eight years.
Competitions
Overall record CompetitionFirst matchLast matchRecordGWDLGFGAGDWin %SourcePrimeira Divisão12 September 19651 May 1966|Taça de Portugal6 November 196517 April 1966|European Cup30 September 19659 March 1966|Total
Primeira Divisão
League standings
Results by round
Matches
Taça de Portugal
First round
Second round
Third Round
Quarter-finals
European Cup
First round
Second Round
Quarter-Finals
Non-official matches Ramón de Carranza Trophy Source:Invitational international tournament.
Friendlies
Player statistics The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member Fernando Riera (manager), Fernando Cabrita (assistant manager).
References