The 1969–70 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 66st season in existence and the club's 36st consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 August 1969 to 31 July 1970. Domestically, Benfica competed in the Primeira Divisão and Taça de Portugal, while internationally participated in the European Cup.
Benfica began the season aiming for a fourth consecutive league title under Otto Glória, but inconsistent results and a mid-season managerial change left the team trailing Sporting, who won the championship. In Europe, Benfica were eliminated by Celtic after a coin toss in the second round of the European Cup. The season ended on a high note, however, as Benfica won the Taça de Portugal, defeating Sporting 3–1 in the final.
Season summary After winning the league title for the third consecutive year, Benfica aimed for a historic fourth straight championship (tetra), with Otto Glória as head coach. The squad was reinforced with Messias, Carlos Marques, and Artur Jorge, who had already scored 94 goals in 112 matches in Académica. Meanwhile, club legends Cavém and Raul Machado departed.
Pre-season began with a tour of Africa, where Benfica beat Racing 1–0 but lost twice to Sporting, 1–0 and 5–2. Later, in the Taça de Honra, Benfica defeated Atlético 2–1 in the semi-finals and drew 1–1 with Belenenses in the final
The official season opened on 7 September with a 2–0 away defeat to Leixões in the first league match. In the following three rounds, Benfica beat Vitória de Guimarães, Belenenses, and Académica, finishing the month two points behind Sporting. In Europe, Benfica eliminated KB 5–2 on aggregate.
In October, Benfica won both league matches, beating CUF 2–0 away and Boavista 8–0 at home. November began with a 1–0 defeat to Sporting, followed by a 3–0 away loss to Celtic in the 1969–70 European Cup. The team responded with a 5–0 win over Braga, a 1–0 away loss to Vitória de Setúbal, and then the second leg against Celtic. Benfica won 3–0, leveling the tie, but with no goals scored in extra time, the outcome was decided by a coin toss. Celtic advanced and went on to reach the final.
In December, Benfica won three league matches and drew one, including a 2–0 home victory against Porto, finishing the first half of the season three points behind Sporting. The new year began with a 3–0 win over Leixões, followed by a 2–1 away defeat to Vitória de Guimarães and a 0–0 draw against Belenenses, leaving Benfica six points adrift of Sporting.
February was disappointing, as Benfica beat Académica 2–0 away but then lost 1–0 at home to CUF. This defeat led to the dismissal of Otto Glória, with José Augusto retiring as a player to take over as manager. The month ended with a 1–1 away draw against Boavista, which left Benfica in third place, eight points behind the leaders. In March, the team drew 1–1 with Sporting in Alvalade, before recording three consecutive wins over Braga, Vitória de Setúbal, and União de Tomar, maintaining the gap at eight points. In the Taça de Portugal, Benfica overturned a 3–2 away defeat to eliminate Vitória de Setúbal with a 2–0 home victory.
In April, Benfica won all of its league matches: 3–0 against Barreirense at home, 2–1 away against Porto, and 1–0 against Varzim at home. The team also secured a 6–1 victory over Boavista in the first leg of the second round of the Taça de Portugal. Benfica ended the league campaign eight points behind Sporting.
In the Taça de Portugal, Benfica defeated Boavista 3–2 away in the second leg, eliminated Vitória de Guimarães 4–3 on aggregate, and overcame Leixões 9–1 on aggregate to reach the final. There, they faced recently crowned league champions Sporting and won 3–1.
Competitions
Overall record Competition First match Last match RecordGWDLGFGAGDWin %Source Primeira Divisão 7 September 1969 19 April 1970 Taça de Portugal 15 February 1970 14 June 1970 European Cup 17 September 1969 26 November 1969 Total
Primeira Divisão
League standings
Matches
Taça de Portugal First round
Second round
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
European Cup
First Round
Second Round
After the 3–3 aggregate on extra-time, Celtic progressed on a coin toss.
Friendlies
Player statistics The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member Otto Glória (manager), José Augusto (manager), Fernando Cabrita (assistant manager).
References