[Qwerty]

All the players that was linked for Benfica 08/09, by the press (LOL):

1. Diego Cavalieri (GK - Palmeiras)
2. Alex (OM - Fenerbahçe)
3. Arouca (OM - Fluminense)
4. Hélio Vaz (FW - Montijo)
5. Pauleta (FW - PSG)
6. Jorge Ribeiro (LD - Boavista)
7. Ruben Amorim (OM - Belenenses)
8. Rolando (CD - Belenenses)
9. Simão Sabrosa (LW - Atl.Madrid)
10. Tiago (OM - Juventus)
11. Thiago Neves (OM - Fluminense)
12. Ricardo Rocha (CD - Tottenham)
13. Cohene (CD - Olhanense)
14. Carlos Martins (OM - Huelva)
15. Lazhar Hadj Aissa (LW - ES Sétif)
16. Djalma (FW - Marítimo)
17. Zé Castro (CD - Atl.Madrid)
18. Duda (LD - Sevilla)
19. Roland Linz (FW - Braga)
20. Karim Ziani (LW - Marselha)
21. Wendel Da Silva (FW - Bordéus)
22. Alejandro Alonso (OM - Bordéus)
23. Cleiton (OM - Larisa)
24. Geromel (CD - Guimaraes)
25. Niculae (FW - Auxerre)
26. Paulo Assunção (DM - Porto)
27. Marco Caçeres (DC - Rancing Avallaneda)
28. Cadu (CD - Cluj)
29. Eduardo Costa (DM - Grémio)
30. João Aurelio (LW - Penalva do Castelo)
31. Carboni (OM - Salzbrug)
32- Samuel Bouhours (LWB - Le Mans)
33- Yohan Tavares (LWB - Le Mans)
34- Mario Jardel (FW - No club)
35- Fabio Rochemback (OM - Middlesbrough)
35- Benny McCarthy (FW - Blackburn)
36- Omar Bravo (FW - Chivas)
37- Giovanni Dos Santos (OM - Barcelona)

(until now just 2 are realised.)

[funkdoctorspock]

damn, that list is long.

You only have 35 players to go... :P

Seriously, does this list include rumoured players too? The kind where you know there's no chance in the world Benfica would go after them?

[Qwerty]

this list is just all rumours,lol...only 2 players of them will play for Benfica next season....Ruben Amorim and Jorge Ribeiro.

the Portuguese press likes to invent and to do newspaper 1st pages talking about Benfica ... its what sells more in portugal..and when they dont have news, they create them..lool.
the direction of Benfica have already made several communicated to deny some of these names..

last season the rumours list was with 103 names..lool

and at pre-season 07/08:

1- Chevanton (AV - Sevilla)
2- Roberto Soldado (AV - R.Madrid)
3- Júlio Baptista (MA - R.Madrid)
4- Renato Augusto (MA - Flamengo)
5- Diogo Santo (AV - Portuguesa)
6- Eddie Johnson (AV - Kansas City)
7- Rúben Amorim (MA - Belenenses)
8- Arouca (MA - Fluminense)
9- Wagner Silva (DC - Grémio)
10- Nasreddine El-Bahar (AV - MC Oran)
11- Tiago Mendes (MA - Juventus)
12- Alex Teixeira (AV - Vasco da Gama)
13- Dário Bustos (DD - Cucutá «Colômbia»)
14- Nicolae Dica (AV - Steaua)
15- Christian Benítez (AV - Santos Laguna «México»)
16- Alexis Sánchez (DD - River Plate)
17- Gilberto (DE - Hertha)
18- Cesar Delgado (AV - Cruz Azul)
19- Edu Costa (MD - Grémio)
20- Gustavo Nery (DE - Corinthians)
21- Zé Castro (DC - Atl.Madrid)
22- Thiago Heleno (DC - Cruzeiro)
23- Fernando Belluschi (MAD - River Plate)
24- Jorge Ribeiro (DE - Boavista)
25- Omar Bravo (AV -Chivas)
26- Alessandro Rosina (MAC - Torino)
27- Fred (AV - Lyon)
28- Felix Katongo (MAD - Petro Luanda)
29- Adrian Cristea (MAC - Din.Bucarest)
30- Alberto Rodriguez (DC - Braga)
31- Philippe Coutinho (MAC - Vasco da Gama)
32- Alex Teixeira (MAC - Vasco da Gama)
33- Lobont (GR - Din.Bucarest)
34- M'Bami (MAC - Marselha)
35- Rodrigo Alvim (MAC - Belenenses)
36- Altidore (AC - NY RedBulls)
37- Lazlo Sepsi (DE - Gloria Bistrita)
38- Jonathan (AC - Grémio)
39- Rafik Halliche (DC - NA Hussein Dey)
40- Sergio Almirón (MAC - Juventus)
41- Matias Concha (DD - Bochum)
42- Edinho (AC - V.Setubal)
43- Beto (DC - Huelva)
44- Makukula (AC - Maritimo)
45- Danilinho (MAD - Atl. Mineiro)
46- Tozé Marreco (AC - Zwolle)
47- David Mendes da Silva (MAC - AZ)
48- Grouffan (MAD - Caen)
49- Igor de Camargo (AC - St.Liège)
50- Elyaniv Barda (AC - Genk)
51- Vinicius (AC - Tabuão da Serra)

[Qwerty]

BENFICA 3-0 V.SETUBAL
Goals: Katsouranis, Cardozo, Nuno Gomes

Sunday 11 May 2008

Despite Benfica's 3-0 win over Setúbal in what was an emotional sending off for Rui Costa, the Lisbon side will have to be content with the UEFA Cup next season as they finished 4th in league.

A near full stadium greeted Rui Costa's last appearance as a professional football player before the game kicked-off, a huge banner saying 'thank-you' to the «maestro» covered the central seating are of Estádio da Luz.

Benfica started the match well looking comfortable on the ball, knowing they had to win if they wanted to have any hopes of qualify for the Champions League, depending on the outcome of Sporting's and Guimarães', as it was not in their hands.

Despite this uncertainty, the home side had good early chances and Nuno Gomes had the ball behind the net on the 22nd minute, but was rightly ruled out after Cardozo's flick on played him offside.

Benfica kept pressuring and it paid off a couple of minutes later when Katsouranis got a light touch with his head from Rui Costa's cross to guide the ball to the far post. As things stood, Benfica were heading out in a third place finish. The lead was doubled by the top scorer Cardozo on the 38th minute, who unleashed a left-footed strike after being set up by Rui Costa. Just before the half, Nélson injured himself after an effort on goal and was stretchered off, promptly subbed by Maxi Pereira who would only appear in the second-half.

With Guimarães and Sporting in the lead, there was little left to play for, apart from Rui Costa's final match. The veteran midfielder received an imperious standing ovation from the whole stadium as he was substituted with a few minutes to go, and was braced by every colleague on and off the field.

This surge of emotion led to a third goal, and a much needed one for Nuno Gomes, who had missed a hefty number of chances during the game. Di María wriggled away on the byline to create the chance and it fell for Cardozo, who saw his rebound fall straight to Nuno Gomes.

A disappointing season comes to an end as Benfica finish outside the top three, and only qualify to the UEFA Cup, seeing Guimarães breaking the traditional league finish.









RUI COSTA

What a final game....

[Qwerty]

Best European Match in last 20 years for Benfica:

03-08-2006

LIVERPOOL 0-2 BENFICA Champions League - 2nd Leg (agg 0-3)
(Simão Sabrosa; Fabrizio Miccoli)



I'l never forget this fantastic game.....we've eliminated the european champion...

[Qwerty]

Quique Sanchez Flores to sign with Benfica

Quique Sanchez Flores has found a new employer. The Spanish manager will be taking the leads at Portuguese giants Benfica.

Sanchez Flores was fired by Valencia CF last season after a series of disappointing results, although the Spanish team began performing even worse after his departure.

Several top coaches had been linked to Benfica recently, such as Sven Göran Eriksson and Michael Laudrup.

Sanchez Flores, who will be signing a two-year deal, has reportedly been given permission to sign four new players.

News - Quique Sanchez Flores to sign with Benfica - Soccerway

Official Video: SIC Online

[ZEUS]

As this is the only thread of another club, I'm gonna stick it for a while.

--------------------------------

Quique Sanchez Flores is a good coach. When Getafe promoted, he helped them finish that season on the 13th place. Also, he had very good results with Valencia too. I think he will do a good job at Benfica!

[GocartMozart]

That was so good, I had to watch it twice. Lovely, truly lovely.

[GocartMozart]

Rocha's ready to rejoin Benfica

Ricardo Rocha would welcome a return to Portugal this summer to rejoin Benfica after failing to establish himself in Tottenham's first team.

The 29-year-old arrived at White Hart Lane in the middle of last season but has not established himself as a regular under head coach Juande Ramos, or predecessor Martin Jol.

"Benfica is the club of my heart, always was and always will be," Rocha told TSF. "I have a lot to thank Benfica for and if one day there'll be an opportunity to return I would see it as a great opportunity."

Rocha, signed as defensive cover, made a mistake against Arsenal in one of his first appearances for the club and this season only featured five times.

He is expected to be part of a clear-out at Spurs as Ramos shapes his squad for his first full season in England.

Goalkeeper Radek Cerny has left for QPR, while full-back Young-Pyo Lee is also expected to depart. Spurs may also listen to offers for Anthony Gardner, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Paul Stalteri, Paul Robinson and Pascal Chimbonda.

Interest in Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o appears to have cooled but his team-mate Giovani dos Santos continues to be linked with Spurs.

Spurs looked at Fred in January but a bid is not thought to be imminent, despite the agent of the Lyon striker claiming he expects an offer.

any truth to this speculation or is it just more of the same?

[Qwerty]

until now it's just speculation...he only can return to us if Luisao goes out..It will be great if he comes, because Luisao have no more to give to us...