The 2010–11 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 107th season in existence and the club's 77th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. It involved Benfica competing in the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, Taça da Liga and the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Benfica qualified for the Champions League by winning the previous Primeira Liga.
In Jesus' second season, the loss of Ángel Di María and Ramires was devastating to the team. He moved Carlos Martins to the right wing as a substitute to Ramires. Nicolás Gaitán freshly landed in Europe to replace Di María. These changes had the immediate effect of breaking the high-pressure, high-tempo football of the previous years. By late September, Benfica was already trailing nine points from Porto, a difference it never recovered.
In December 2010, Eduardo Salvio replaced Carlos Martins and Benfica changed to a more common 4–4–2 formation, with two out-and-out wingers to provide width, a pure attacking midfielder combined with a defensive midfielder. That decision left to a good winning streak and Jesus surpassed the record held by Jimmy Hagan's 1972–73 team, with 16 consecutive wins,Benfica estabelece recorde de vitórias consecutivas (Benfica establishes record for consecutive wins) ; Record, 24 February 2011 including a 2–0 win at VfB Stuttgart for the season's Europa League (4–1 on aggregate), Benfica's first ever victory in Germany. As fatigue started to influence the most used players, in the only competitions the club were actively competing, Benfica was unable to maintain a 2–0 lead against Porto, and lost the chance to go the Portuguese Cup final. A 1–0 loss in Braga prevented Benfica from reaching the Europa League final. Domestically, Benfica won their third League Cup, beating Paços de Ferreira.
In January, the Portuguese winter transfer record fee was broken when David Luiz went to Chelsea for £21 million. The record was later surpassed on 31 January 2014 by another Benfica player, when Rodrigo's economic rights were sold to an investment firm for €30 million.
Competitions
Pre-season
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
Primeira Liga
League table
Results by round
Matches
Taça de Portugal
Semi-finals
Taça da Liga
Group stage
Knockout phase
UEFA Champions League
Group stage
+Group BTeam Schalke 046411103+713 Lyon63121110+110 Benfica6204712−56 Hapoel Tel Aviv6123710−35
UEFA Europa League
Knockout phase
Round of 32
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Overall record Competition First match Last match RecordGWDLGFGAGDWin %Source Primeira Liga 15 August 2010 14 May 2011 Taça de Portugal 16 October 2010 20 April 2011 Taça da Liga 2 January 2011 23 March 2011 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira 7 August 2010 7 August 2010 UEFA Champions League 14 September 2010 7 December 2010 UEFA Europa League 17 February 2011 5 May 2011 Total
Player statistics .
! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Goalkeepers
! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Defenders
! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Midfielders
! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Strikers
1.Includes 2010 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. 2.Includes 2010-11 UEFA Champions League
Transfers
In
Summer
No. Pos. Name Moving From Type of Transfer Contract Ends Transfer fee Notes Source 12 GK Roberto Atlético Madrid Transfer 2016 €8,500,000 N/A 20 MF Nicolás Gaitán Boca Juniors Transfer 2016 €8,400,000 N/A # FW Rodrigo Real Madrid Transfer 2016 €7,000,000 N/A 11 FW Franco Jara Arsenal de Sarandí Transfer 2016 €5,500,000 N/A 8 MF Eduardo Salvio Atlético Madrid Loan 2011 €2,500,000 Benfica bought 25% economic rights # GK Jan Oblak Olimpija Ljubljana Transfer 2016 €1,700,000 N/A 3 DF Fábio Faria Rio Ave Transfer 2015 €2,100,000 N/A 15 DF Roderick Miranda SL Benfica Promoted 2018 Free N/A 26 MF Hassan Yebda Portsmouth Loan return 2014 Free # DF Rafik Halliche Nacional Loan return 2015 Free # DF Marco Zoro Vitória de Setúbal Loan return 2011 Free # FW Ishmael Yartey Beira-Mar Loan return 2013 Free # DF Leandro da Silva Vitória de Guimarães Loan return 2014 Free # MF Fellipe Bastos Servette Loan return 2012 Free # DF Rúben Lima Vitória Setúbal Loan return 2012 Free # FW André Carvalhas Fátima Loan return 2011 Free # MF Miguel Rosa Carregado Loan return 2012 Free # FW Ariza Makukula Kayserispor Loan return 2013 Free 3 DF José Shaffer Banfield Loan return 2013 Free # FW Jonathan Urretavizcaya Peñarol Loan return 2013 Free # FW Javier Balboa Cartagena Loan return 2013 Free # FW Nélson Oliveira Rio Ave Loan return 2018 Free # DF Abel Pereira Tondela Loan return 2012 Free # FW Ivan Santos Atlético CP Loan 2011 Free # FW Hélio Vaz Tondela Loan return 2012 Free # FW André Soares Atlético CP Loan return 2012 Free # FW José Coelho Paços Ferreira Loan return 2012 Free # MF David Simão Fátima Loan return 2015 Free # MF Leandro Pimenta Beira-Mar Loan return 2013 Free # MF Gilles Binya Neuchâtel Xamax Loan return 2012 Free # DF João Pereira Fátima Loan return 2012 Free
Winter
No. Pos. Name Moving From Type of Transfer Contract Ends Transfer fee Notes Source 28 MF José Luis Fernández Racing Club Transfer 2015 €1,858,789 N/A 24 DF Lionel Carole Nantes Transfer 2015 €1,400,000 N/A 33 DF Jardel Olhanense Transfer 2016 €375,000 N/A # MF Elvis Paraná Clube Transfer 2016 €580,000 N/A
Spend : €37,950,000
Out
Summer
No. Pos. Name Moving to Type of transfer Transfer fee Source 9 FW Mantorras - Retirement - 20 MF Ángel Di María Real Madrid Transfer €25,000,000 + €11M add-ons 8 MF Ramires Chelsea Transfer €22,000,000 # DF Rafik Halliche Fulham Transfer €1,500,000 # FW Ariza Makukula Manisaspor Transfer €2,000,000 # DF Leandro da Silva Paraná Clube Contract terminated Free # GK Quim Braga Transfer Free # DF Rúben Lima Beira-Mar Transfer Free # DF João Pereira Beira-Mar Transfer Free # MF Gilles Binya Neuchâtel Xamax Transfer Free # FW Ishmael Yartey Fátima Loan Free # GK Jan Oblak Beira-Mar Loan Free # DF Hassan Yebda Napoli Loan Free # FW Rodrigo Bolton Wanderers Loan Free # FW Urreta Deportivo La Coruña Loan Free # DF José Shaffer Rosario Central Loan Free # MF Fellipe Bastos Vasco da Gama Loan Free # FW Éder Luís Vasco da Gama Loan Free # FW Nélson Oliveira Paços Ferreira Loan Free # MF David Simão Paços Ferreira Loan Free # FW José Coelho Fátima Loan Free # FW Ivan Santos Espinho Loan Free # DF Abel Pereira Fátima Loan Free # FW André Carvalhas Fátima Loan Free # MF Miguel Rosa Belenenses Loan Free # MF Lassana Camará Servette Loan Free # FW Hélio Vaz Tondela Loan Free # FW André Soares Servette Loan Free # FW Evandro Brandão Fátima Loan Free # MF Leandro Pimenta Fátima Loan Free # DF Mário Rui Fátima Loan Free # DF Miguel Vítor Leicester City Loan Free # DF Jorge Ribeiro Vitória de Guimarães Loan Free
Winter
No. Pos. Name Moving to Type of transfer Transfer fee Source 23 DF David Luiz Chelsea Transfer €25,000,000 + Nemanja Matić 2 DF Patric Atlético Mineiro Transfer €1,300,000 # DF Marco Zoro Universitatea Craiova Loan Free 3 DF José Shaffer Banfield Loan Free # FW Urreta Peñarol Loan Free # FW Freddy Adu Çaykur Rizespor Loan Free # FW Javier Balboa Albacete Loan Free # FW Marcel Vasco da Gama Loan Free # FW Ishmael Yartey Beira-Mar Loan Free # GK Jan Oblak Olhanense Loan Free 3 DF Fábio Faria Real Valladolid Loan Free # DF Abel Pereira Gondomar Loan Free # FW Evandro Brandão Gondomar Loan Free # FW Hélio Vaz Casa Pia Loan Free
Transfer income: €76,800,000
Overall transfer activity
Spending Summer: €34,700,000 Winter: €3,250,000 Total: €37,950,000
Income Summer: €50,500,000 Winter: €26,300,000 Total: €76,800,000
Expenditure Summer: €15,800,000 Winter: €23,050,000 Total: €38,850,000
Notes and references