Key Takeaways
Béla Guttmann, a Holocaust survivor and legendary Hungarian coach, led Benfica to back-to-back European Cups in 1961 and 1962.
After being denied a pay raise, Guttmann allegedly cursed Benfica, declaring they wouldn’t win another European title for 100 years.
The curse seemingly took effect as Benfica lost multiple European finals despite their strong teams.
Béla Guttmann was a former Hungarian footballer and coach, mostly notable for his legendary managerial tenure with Benfica. He was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, and was Jewish. The former footballer had gone through a lot in his life, as he was deported by the Nazis to a Nazi slave labor camp where he was tortured. Guttmann was also a survivor of the Holocaust.
Guttmann played as a midfielder for MTK Hungária FC, SC Hakoah Wien, and several clubs in the United States before the war. He had also played for the Hungary national football team, including at the 1924 Olympic Games. This article will be looking at the most successful phase of his managerial career at Benfica, and how an apparent curse laid by him at the club brought heartbreak for Benfica in the decades that followed.
Life before Benfica
It was in the year of 1958 that Guttmann arrived in Portugal. However, Benfica wasn't the club that he first managed in the country. It was their rivals Porto, who ended up overturning a 5-point lead of Benfica to snatch away the Portuguese League from them. The future seemed bright for Porto under Guttmann, until Benfica went on to break their hearts.
Guttmann's legendary time at Benfica
In the following season, Guttman jumped ship and joined rivals Benfica. Porto's loss ended up being Benfica's gain. The Hungarian was absolutely ruthless at Benfica, as he went on to sack over 20 senior players and started to promote a host of youth players. He eventually went on to build a dream team that included the likes of José Águas, José Augusto, Costa Pereira, António Simões, Germano, and Mário Coluna, and the legendary Eusébio.
With a magnificent squad and a brilliant coach, nothing seemed impossible for the Portuguese club. This is exactly what happened as well, with Benfica winning the European Cup twice in a row. A feat that can surely be considered impossible in their current scenario.
The 1961 final saw them beat Barcelona 3-2, while the following year's final saw them make a legendary 5-3 comeback against Barca's eternal rivals Real Madrid. Unfortunately that was the end of Guttman at Benfica. The manager asked for a pay rise after his historic feats, only to be refused by the club. This ultimately saw him resign from the club. However, the one thing he allegedly did before leaving ended up destroying the club for the years to come.
The curse that seemed eternal
After his departure from the club, Guttman allegedly cursed the club declaring "Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champions again". While there is no documentary evidence to prove that he cursed the club, the events that followed would say otherwise.
Benfica went on to lose their next & European Cup finals in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, and 1990. It was also reported that their legendary player Eusébio prayed at Guttmann's grave and asked for the curse to be broken before the 1990 final in Vienna. Even this did not help, as Benfica lost that final as well.
It was only decades later in 2022, after three lost finals of the UEFA Youth League, Benfica's under-19 team became European youth champions by winning the 2021–22 edition. This finally made everyone believe that the curse was gone. However, it is also worth mentioning that this was in regards to the youth team. It ultimately remains to be seen if the first-team would ever be able to lift the UEFA Champions League again.
Whatever the future holds for Benfica, Béla Guttmann and his legendary team will always be forever remembered with love by the Portuguese club and their fans.
