The 2014 Europa League final. Juventus Stadium in Turin. Benfica drew a goalless draw in extra time against Sevilla. The game goes to a tiebreaker. Then some Benfica supporters started leaving the gallery seat. What could happen in the tiebreaker, they could have guessed and it happened. Benfica lost 4–2 to Sevilla in the tiebreaker.
Some say curse. That famous or infamous curse of Bella Gutmann. Sevilla’s Portuguese goalkeeper Beto implemented it in the final 11 years ago. Benfica stopped two shots in the tiebreaker. Gutmann? The Hungarian coach, who won the European Cup with Benfica in 1961 and 1962, is the late coach. It is said that after winning the European Cup, Gutmann demanded a bonus from Benfica. But Benfica’s board refused to give him a bonus. When Guttmann left Benfica in 1962, he cursed the Portuguese club, saying, “Benfica will not be the best in Europe for the next 100 years without me.” ’
Gutmann died in 1981. Since his departure, Benfica have reached five European Cup (Champions League) finals (1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990) but have not won. Apart from this, the UEFA Cup/Europa League, the second-tier tournament in Europe, could not win the title three times (1983, 2013 and 2014). You may not believe in ghosts, but there may be something called a curse – some may believe it by reading it.
Guttmann’s curse in European football is now recognized. Dista after Dista reports and features have been done on this. But for Benfica, the story is different. First, Guttmann is the legendary coach in their club history. There is also a sculpture of him in the club’s courtyard. At Benfica, Guttmann enjoys the same status as legendary players like Eusebio, Coluna and Aguas. Second, Benfica claims that the alleged curse first came into the limelight after losing the 1988 European Cup final on penalties. And that was 26 years after Guttmann left the club. The club claims that this curse has never been heard of before.
Benfica supported their claim by referring to two biographies written about Gutmann. Gutmann survived the Nazi concentration camp. British author David Bolshoverer has denied such curses in his book ‘From Holocaust Survivors to Benfica Glory.
Benfica claims that at the center of the story of this hoax curse is an interview with the German magazine Sports Illustrated published in 1967. In that interview, Guttmann criticized the way Benfica played. “If he plays well, Benfica play well,” he said. If he plays badly, Benfica also plays badly. The whole XI was like that when I was there. They can’t win the European Cup again. Benfica claims that he made the comment about a specific issue. In addition, in an interview with the weekly Expresso in 2011, the late Eusebio said, “Bella Gutmann did not curse, it is a lie. ’
But when you step into the Benfica museum, it takes a knock. Gutmann is in only two films. One was photographed with the players during the 1961 European Cup victory. Another in the coaches’ corner. The question is, the two Europe-best crowns that Benfica has won are by the hands of this Guttmann – the coach’s place in the museum is so small? Whether the curse is true or false, Gutmann’s place in Benfica’s past house is very low.