FOOTY FAIR

Cheating and Corruption in Football - Part 1 of 5: Anderlecht Buy Themselves an Official

2016-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

There's cheating, like throwing yourself on the ground to win a penalty, and then there's really using the "dark arts" to get one over on an opponent.

The following is the first in our series of five shameful tales of dishonesty in football:

Anderlecht v Nottingham Forest, UEFA Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg - 1984

Brian Clough's Forest side had put themselves in a good position in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final in 1984, with a comprehensive 2-0 victory at the City Ground.

Clough though hadn't counted on the machinations of Anderlecht's president Constant Vanden Stock when they arrived in Belgium for the second leg.

The referee in charge that night in April was a Spaniard named Emilio Guruceta Muro who already had a bit of a poor reputation after a string of controversial decisions at home and abroad over the years. Forest's players and their famously outspoken manager weren't happy with his appointment, but were confident that they could hold on to their advantage and meet fellow English side Tottenham in the final.

There were a few borderline calls for free kicks not long after the kickoff, but nothing seemed that out of the ordinary even after Enzo Scifo had staked Anderlecht into 1-0 lead on the night on 20 minutes.

At the hour mark though Forest finally had a knife driven straight into their backs when Muro ruled that Kenny Swain had brought down Anderlecht's Kenneth Brylle for a penalty.

The problem was that Swain was at least three or four yards away when Brylle theatrically threw himself on the floor, and he was in an offside position to begin with.

With the penalty converted, and the aggregate score tied, Forest were up against it and the players began to fear that the fix was in.

With two minutes to go, Erwin Vandenbergh put Anderlecht up 3-0 on the night and ahead on aggregate, but there was one last twist in the tale.

Deep into injury-time, Forest won a corner that Paul Hart put away with a free header to seemingly win the tie. But before he could celebrate, that man Muro had blown for a foul.

What the foul was he never really explained to Forest's enraged players and with that the match, and Forest's involvement in the UEFA Cup for the season, was over.

Although Forest never staged an official protest at the time, they knew they had been cheated and Clough made sure to tell some of the equally baffled media of his suspicions.

Anderlecht for their part would lose the final on penalties to Spurs and for thirteen years the majority of the football world forgot about the controversy surrounding the Belgian side's run to the final.

The controversial Muro, who had few admirers in his native Spain either due to his suspicious handling of several big fixtures over the years, died in a car crash in 1987.

In 1997, under pressure from an alleged blackmail plot by someone close to the club, Anderlecht officials finally confirmed that they had arranged for a local gangster to pay Muro close to 20,000 pounds to fix the match against Forest in their favour.

The club were subsequently banned from European competition for one year, a fairly light punishment all things considered, and although several Forest players tried to take legal action against Anderlecht, their cases didn't make much headway.

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-11-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

As we do every week, this weekend we here at FootyFair will be keeping an eye on five matches that promise to be quite entertaining. Of course, the three of us have our favorite clubs, nonetheless, we do like to watch action from all over the world and share with you the 5 matches we think could be great. This week we suggest action from Belgium, Russia, England, Italy and France.

Gent vs. Anderlecht (Belgium - Sunday, Nov 9)

Whether you follow the Belgian league or not, the Jupiler League does offer up some good action and this weekend the two league leaders are going at it. Home side Gent sit in second place just 1 point behind league leaders Anderlecht, which means that even though the season is just 14 matches in, this could be a crucial match come end of the year. KAA Gent has never won the Belgian top tier in their 150 year history...that's right, 150 years. Meanwhile Anderlecht is the most successful Belgian club both domestically and in European competition, with a few European titles in the 1970's and 80's.

Dinamo Moscow vs. CSKA Moscow (Russia - Sunday, Nov 9)

Finding a derby in Moscow is about as hard as finding one in London with a great amount of clubs in the top tier coming from the capital. But aside from the rivalry between Dinamo and CSKA both clubs have been doing quite well in recent history so the quality of football when the two meet is usually pretty solid. This years CSKA is sitting in 2nd place behind Zenit St. Petersburg, while Dinamo is hoping to start a bit of a climb with a home win over their rivals, as they sit in 7th place after 12 matches.

Sampdoria vs. AC Milan (Italy - Saturday, Nov 8)

AC Milan is always a big ticket in Italian football even when they sit in 7th place as they are currently after 10 matches played in Serie A. Sampdoria however, have only won the Italian top tier once in the early 1990's compared to the 18 their opposition this weekend has accumulated over the past century. But the home side from Genoa is doing pretty well this year sitting in 4th place and this match-up promises to be quite interesting, especially considering the fact that the Italian league has been quite unpredictable all year thus far.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea (England - Saturday, Nov 8)

The Reds and The Blues go at it this Saturday and the two couldn't be on a more opposite path. Nonetheless, when these two meet, the match-up is always intriguing and this year should be no different. Chelsea sit atop the EPL table, already 12 points ahead of this weekend's opposition Liverpool who are in 7th place. Mario Balotelli is still having a hard time finding the net in league action while Chelsea's new signing Diego Costa is just one goal behind the league's scoring leader and that's considering the Spaniard missed some matches due to injury. Can Brendan Rodgers outsmart the man he used to work with, or will Chelsea's bench-boss Jose Mourinho come out on top?

Paris Saint Germain vs. Marseille (France - Sunday, Nov 9)

Le Classique as this rivalry is called in France, is always a highly contested fixture in the French calendar and this year should be no different considering both clubs are doing well domestically. Sitting first and second in the table, Marseille has already managed to gain a 4 point lead on the defending champions PSG and for the club from the capital this match at home may be a great opportunity of closing the gap to just a single point.

Borussia Dortmund: Perfect in Europe, Crap in Germany

2014-11-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

After a resounding 4-1 thumping of Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund have now collected the maximum of 12 points in the Champions League and have provided their fans with a much needed distraction from their wretched league form.

After collecting only 7 points from 10 league matches, the club are reeling in the second bottom of the Bundesliga. But does this mean that the domestic league sides that have overcome Dortmund this season are all better than Arsenal, Galatasaray and Anderlecht?

Surely that can't be the case, but what is the problem though?

One thing that has killed the club this season, domestically at least, is the number of key injuries they've suffered so far. With players like Ilkay Gündogan, Marco Reus, Sebastian Kehl, and Mats Hummels spending significant amounts of time on the sidelines the club have rarely been able to send out their best side.

Defensive mistakes have also cost them badly in the league, with Hummels, Erik Durme, and Neven Subotic all namely costly errors at key moments. In the Champions League the club has seemed a lot more focused and less rife with errors.

The small, but significant, errors in the league simply haven't occurred in Europe.

It could also be a matter of domestic sides figuring out how Dortmund play and effectively countering them, whereas European sides haven't picked up on their weaknesses yet. They also aren't suffering the burden of expectation when it comes to beating German sides that aren't Bayern Munich.

Manager Jurgen Klopp for his part isn't panicking and has said, "It’s about the answers rather than the emotion of the moment. There will always be questions and, as a coach, you have to have the answers."

5 Most Incredible Own Goals

2014-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

One of the funniest moment in football is the own goal. It doesn’t happen very often but when it does it always brings a smile to my face.

I looked around for the top 5 own goals scored around the world and I believe I found some really great own goals, so great that if they were own goals they would be considered for goal of the year.

Here are what I consider the 5 most incredible own goals in football.

Game: Partizan Belgrade vs Anderlecht (2010)

During the 2010 Champions League qualifier matches, Lecjaks scored one of the most incredible and memorable own goals of the competition history. Instead of clearing a dangerous attack and playing the ball into the stands, he smacked the ball into his own net. A goal he will probably never forget.

Game: Bastia vs RC Lens (2001)

When your team has a 3-0 lead, as a defender all you need to do is keep your concentration and ensure you see the game to the end, and if possible keep the clean sheet for your team. Queudrue had other plans, when he scored an own goal from 30 yards out. This was a goal that any forward would be proud off, even Queudrue would be proud of it, had it been in the opposite net.

Game: FC Fehervar vs Debrecen DVSC (2008)

The Hungarian league doesn’t get the same attention as some of the greatest leagues in Europe, but the own goal scored by Durica was good enough to be on any league’s highlight reel. Perhaps Durica’s goal is one of the most difficult own goals to score, considering it came off a penalty kick for the opposing team.

Game: Sun Hei vs Citizen Hong Kong (2005)

This goal would be something you would expect to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic score, but instead Festus Baise scored it in his own net. His team won the match 3-2 but he scored of one of the best and most incredible own goals I have ever seen, too bad it was in his own net, otherwise he would have a great story to tell his grandchildren.

Game: Oita Trinita vs Albirex Niigata (2013)

Shimizu and his opponent Tanaka were involved in an own goal that was sure to become the butt of all jokes involving own goals. Shimizu trying to get his team’s attack started quickly and kicks the ball into his opponent’s rear, which bounced the ball into the back of his net.

What's Wrong With Borussia Dortmund?

2014-10-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

After Saturday's home loss by a goal to nil to Hamburg, Borussia Dortmund's shocking start to the season continued.

With Hamburger SV winless before heading into the Westfalenstadion yesterday, Jürgen Klopp would have been hoping his side could not only put three points on the board, but also produce a good performance for the home crowd.

But after some great build-up play by Nicolai Müller, Pierre-Michel Lasogga put away a 35th minute goal that Dortmund never recovered from.

Although the home side applied some late pressure, it was not enough as Hamburg finally claimed their first win after seven matches. Incredibly, Lasogga's goal was only Hamburg's second goal of the current campaign.

The fact that Dortmund had lost to a side struggling near the foot of the table, and hadn't really done themselves much credit in their performance, was not lost on the home crowd as they whistled their side off.

Dortmund have now lost four of their first seven matches and sit a full ten points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.

So what is going wrong with Borussia Dortmund?

Arsenal and Anderlecht fans in particular must be scratching their heads that such a question is being asked, after both being on the receiving end of wallopings by Klopp's side in the Champions League.

Domestically though sides seem to have figured out that Dortmund's strength is in playing counter attacking football, and you can have success against them if you cede them a high percentage of the possession, but keep it tight at the back, and force them to take you on.

Arsenal made the mistake of trying to play an open attacking game in the Westfalenstadion, with a high defensive line, and were subsequently torn to shreds.

In the Bundesliga, teams appear to know better than playing into Dortmund's hands and as a result Klopp has a got a big job on his hands to fix their current slide.

The club has of course not been helped by a few key departures. With Mario Götze departing for Bayern Munich in 2013 and then seeing Robert Lewandowski join the Bavarian giants twelve months later it was a terrible blow for the club.

With Marco Reus and Mats Hummels struggling with injuries and a drop in form, respectively, the spine of what was once one of the most exciting sides in Europe has been nearly torn out.

In addition to this with new signing Adrián Ramos struggling to fit into the side so far, and even when he does being someway short of the quality of the departed Lewandowski, there's no doubt that Dortmund look a bit light up top.

Klopp has dealt with players leaving in the past though, and there is still quality in the squad, so once Reus returns from injury and the new signings find form, we should have a clearer idea of where the squad is this season.

The Harsh Realities of Champions League - Week 2

2014-10-02T18:00:00.000-04:00

The second week of group play in the UEFA Champions League is now behind us, and while some clubs have turned their fortunes around since week 1, others have not. We take a look at some of the clubs that did not impress us in week 2 action.

Read Previous 'Harsh Reality' Weeks:
WEEK 1

Olympiacos

After thoroughly impressing in their first match against last year's finalists Atletico Madrid, the Greek outfit went down to perhaps the weakest team in their group, if not in the whole tournament Malmö FF. Olympiacos' defense struggled and gave away two weak goals to the Swedish club for a 2-0 final loss; the first two for Malmo in the Champions League. With the group all tied up at 3 points per team, Olympiacos will now have to take on Italian champions Juventus to conclude the first half of the group competition, and if they don't perform much better than they did in their last match, they could very well find themselves at the very bottom of the table after next match-day.

Liverpool

The Reds are now making this list for the second time in a row. But while the last time they were on here was due to an ugly win, this time around is because they could not find the net against Swiss side FC Basel, losing 1-0 at St. Jakob-Park. With 3 points from their first two matches and a meeting against group leaders Real Madrid at Anfield in their next match, Brendan Rodgers' side are quickly digging themselves a hole they may find very hard to climb out of. That and the signs that Balotelli is already getting on the wrong side of the management in his new club could mean an early exit for Liverpool if they don't start performing much better.

SL Benfica

Another club that is making our list for the second straight time is Portuguese club Benfica, who now find themselves without any points after two matches. While their first match loss to Zenit could somewhat be attributed to playing with 10 men, this time around SLB was simply humbled in Germany for a 3-1 final score at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen. They were just not good enough and could have easily conceded three or four more goals after an awful first 60 minutes. And it doesn't get much easier in this group as they meet French runner-ups AS Monaco next.

Anderlecht

After drawing Turkish side Galatasaray in their previous match, the Belgians were handed a thorough beating on home soil by Borussia Dortmund for a 3-0 final loss. They let the German side take the lead in just the 3rd minute and could not muster much to intimidate their guests. Although they will play at home once more in week 3, their opposition is a tough Arsenal squad, and it seems that home-field advantage won't be a factor anyway as the Belgians could not manage to fill their small 21,000 seat home stadium against Dortmund.

Galatasaray

Another one from Group D, and this one is Turkish side Galatasaray who were outclassed by The Gunners in London, for a 4-1 final. Danny Welbeck was free to do as he pleased, scoring a hat-trick against a defense that could not handle the English international forward. In their next match the Turks do travel home where the support is second to none, however, they are facing tough opposition in Borussia Dortmund who are known to be able to win just as well on the road as they do on home soil.

Barcelona

Perhaps if it was not for their very narrow 1-0 win over APOEL in week 1 we would not be talking about Barcelona on this list because a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in France is not such a bad result now days. But the LaLiga side, although most likely still a strong contender to qualify out of their group, is now showing signs of weakness, especially after being 'undressed' twice from set-pieces. Barcelona's next opponent comes in the form of Dutch outfit Ajax in a match that will be played at the Camp Nou, and if Barca will be looking to make a statement perhaps this would be the perfect match as the Dutch club is the most likely to challenge them for that second qualifying spot.

Athletic Bilbao

Although they didn't look great in week 1 playing at home against Ukrainian club Shakhtar to a 0-0 draw, I decided to leave the Spanish side out of the first list and see how they can do in the next match-day. Well, now that they show how well they can lose 2-1 to Belarus' BATE, a club who got thumped 6-0 by Porto in the previous week, now perhaps is as good a time as ever to include Athletic to the list of clubs who are not impressing in this year's UEFA Champions League. Now the club from Bilbao must travel to Porto to take on the group leaders who play very well in their home stadium, the Estádio do Dragão.

Read Previous 'Harsh Reality' Weeks:
WEEK 1

Weekend Recap - Best 5 Matches

2014-07-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

With European league action fast approaching and many leagues on the American continents in full swing, here are 5 matches you should have watched this weekend.

#5 - Anderlecht 2-1 Lokeren (Belgian Supercup)

The Supercup is always a special occasion that marks the beginning of a season. Defending champions Anderlecht was taken to the final minutes by last year's cup winners underdog Lokeren. Only an own goal from Lokeren in added-time awarded Anderlecht with their 12th Belgian Supercup title.

#4 - Palmeiras 1-2 Cruzeiro (Brasileirão)

League leaders Cruzeiro didn't provide Palmeiras with much room to breath with two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the match. The hosts did pull one back and had their chances to tie it up, but Cruzeiro held on for the eventual win.

#3 - Seattle Sounders 3-3 Tottenham (International Club Friendly)

It's quite common to see more goals than usual in a friendly meeting. But seeing three penalty-kicks awarded by the referee during a "friendly" encounter is somewhat unusual. That, and a beautiful goal from Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso, gets this match the fourth spot on our list.

#2 - Columbus Crew 2-1 Montreal Impact

Italian national Marco Di Vaio put the visitors ahead. But thanks to the outstanding display from their goalkeeper, the Crew were able to stay in the match and eventually complete the full comeback winning the match 2-1 in front of an ecstatic crowd.

#1 - AFC Wimbledon 2-3 Chelsea FC (Club Friendly)

Wimbledon seemed to come out with a point to prove, heading into the break 2-0 up. But Chelsea star defender John Terry would prove the unlikely hero, scoring a brace in the second, providing his squad with the comeback victory.

European Clubs Released & Leaked Kits 2014-15 Season (Gallery)

2014-07-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

Clubs from around Europe have released their 2014-15 kits and some others have been leaked.

Dynamo Moscow Kits

CSKA Mosccow Home Jersey

CSKA Moscow Away Jersey

Dynamo Kiev Home Kit

Lokomotive Moscow Kits

Standard Liege Kits

Bursaspor Kits

Red Bull Salzburg Away Jersey

Spartak Moscow Away Jersey

Spartak Moscow Home Jersey

Fenerbahce Away Jersey

Fenerbahce Third Jersey

Fenerbahce Home Jersey

Feyenoord Away Jersey

Galatasaray Away Jersey

Galatasaray Home Jersey

FC Basel Kits

Sparta Prague Away Kit

Sparta Prague Home Kit

Besiktas Away Jersey

Besiktas Home Jersey

Besiktas 3rd Jersey

Lech Poznan Away Jersey

Lech Poznan Home Jersey

Benfica Away Jersey

Benfica Away Kit

ADO Den Haag Kits

Austria Wien Home Kit

AZ Alkmaar Home Kit

Benfica Home Jersey

Sporting CP Home & Away Jersey

Feyenoord Goalkeeper Jersey

Feyenoord Home Jersey

Groningen Away Jersey

Groningen Away Kits

Groningen Home Jersey

Panathinaikos Away Jersey

Panathinaikos Home Kit

Paok Home Jersey

PAOK Kits

PSV Away Jersey

PSV Home Jersey

PSV 3rd Jersey

Rapid Wien Away Jersey

Red Bull Salzburg Home Kit

Red Star Belgrade Kits

RSC Anderlecht Kits

Vitesse Home Jersey

Zenit Away Jersey

Zenit Home Jersey

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-07-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

With the World Cup now behind us, we re-launch our top five picks of matches to watch over the weekend.

#5 - Lyon vs Shakhtar Donetsk (Saturday, July 19)

On Saturday, French side Lyon will be taking on Ukrainian champions and Champion League group stage participants Shakhtar Donetsk. After a disappointing 5th place finish in Ligue 1, Lyon will look to prepare for yet another tough season in France. The Ukrainian side have a full schedule with their domestic league fast approaching and their imminent participation in the group stages of this year's Champions League. Shakhtar's line-up includes Brazilian World Cup participant Bernard and Croatian Dario Srna.

#4 - Hearts vs Manchester City - Club Friendly (Friday, July 18)

Surely all eyes will be on English Premier League champions Manchester City when these two meet later today in a friendly fixture. City got off to a slow start in their first friendly of the summer against another Scottish side Dundee, but with new signings such as Bacary Sagna, Fernando and Willy Caballero, it's worth taking a look at the squad that will try to defend their English title this coming season.

#3 - Lille vs Zenit St. Petersburg - Club Friendly (Saturday, July 19)

It's the season of club friendlies and this one features two very good teams. Obviously these types of matches don't always feature all of the clubs' star players. Nonetheless, some of them bigger names may make appearances as both the French and Russian leagues are set to begin within a month. Both Zenit and Lille will enter this year's Champions League in its third qualifying round and given the strength of the two squads, both have a real shot at group stages. Lille's squad features four 2014 World Cup participants with Ivorian Salomon Kalou, Frenchman Rio Mavuba, Nigerian star keeper Vincent Enyeama and Belgian 19 year old starlet Divock Origi. Zenit meanwhile have 9 World Cup players in their side, with 4 footballers from the Russian national squad, 2 from Belgium including Axel Witsel, Portuguese Luís Neto, Brazilian midfielder Hulk and of course the club's latest signing from SL Benfica Argentinian defender Ezequiel Garay.

#2 - Fluminense vs Santos FC - Brazil Serie A (Sunday, July 20)

The Brazilian league is well underway. After 10 matches played Santos FC sits in 5th spot just five points from league leaders Cruzeiro, while Fluminense is right behind them, trailing by just one point. Fluminense's captain and World Cup participant Fred will have to prove himself in front of his supporters after an awful performance for Brazil in this year's tournament.

#1 - Anderlecht vs Lokeren - Belgian Super Cup (Sunday, July 20)

The Belgian Super Cup will be on this Sunday and is featuring last season's Belgian league title holders Anderlecht and cup winners Lokeren. The Super Cup (in any league) is a sign that the league is about to start, and is always a good spectacle as the two sides try to win the very first trophy of the season. The two have met in this same one-match title two years ago, with Anderlecht winning 3-2. Lokeren's side features 2014 World Cup participant Ivorian goalkeeper Boubacar Barry, while the Anderlecht side has Belgian international Anthony Vanden Borre and Honduran World Cup midfielder Andy Najar.

Benfica and the Curse of Béla Guttmann

2014-05-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

As Benfica succumbed to Sevilla 4-2 on penalties in the Europa League Final on Wednesday night, immediately social media was abuzz about the continuing curse of Béla Guttmann. With their eighth straight loss in a European final, Benfica fans understandably feel that dark forces are against them and are left wondering when they'll be able to finally see their side lift a European title again.

Guttmann, a brilliant but erratic Hungarian coach who helped pioneer the 4-2-4 formation, had already managed clubs all over Hungry, Brazil and Italy before finding his way to Portugal. He never stayed in one place for too long as although he was a brilliant tactician, his temper, and unbending will, often led to problems. He was once sacked by AC Milan, despite leading them to the top of table through 19 matches, after a series of disputes with the board.

Guttmann joined As Águias (The Eagles) from rivals Porto in 1959 and immediately made his mark on the Lisbon club by sacking 20 senior players. He promoted youth team players such as José Augusto, Costa Pereira, António Simões, Germano, Mário Coluna, and the brilliant Eusébio into the first team squad, crafting a side that won the league in 1960 and 1961. His greatest achievements were on the European stage though, as Benfica captured the 1961 and 1962 European Cups.

After beating Real Madrid in 1962, Guttmann approached the Benfica board for a raise. After having his request for a higher salary turned down, he left the club in a rage and seemingly cursed them by saying, "Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champion".

Even if you are sceptical of such things, there are many who did believe him including the late Eusébio who prayed at Guttmann's grave in Vienna on the eve of the 1990 European Cup Final. It did not have the desired effect though as the club fell to AC Milan 1-0.

Below are the eight European finals that Benfica has come up short in since 1962:

FOOTY FAIR

Cheating and Corruption in Football - Part 1 of 5: Anderlecht Buy Themselves an Official

Anderlecht v Nottingham Forest, UEFA Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg - 1984

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

Gent vs. Anderlecht (Belgium - Sunday, Nov 9)

Dinamo Moscow vs. CSKA Moscow (Russia - Sunday, Nov 9)

Sampdoria vs. AC Milan (Italy - Saturday, Nov 8)

Liverpool vs. Chelsea (England - Saturday, Nov 8)

Paris Saint Germain vs. Marseille (France - Sunday, Nov 9)

Borussia Dortmund: Perfect in Europe, Crap in Germany

5 Most Incredible Own Goals

Game: Partizan Belgrade vs Anderlecht (2010)

Game: Bastia vs RC Lens (2001)

Game: FC Fehervar vs Debrecen DVSC (2008)

Game: Sun Hei vs Citizen Hong Kong (2005)

Game: Oita Trinita vs Albirex Niigata (2013)

What's Wrong With Borussia Dortmund?

The Harsh Realities of Champions League - Week 2

Olympiacos

Liverpool

SL Benfica

Anderlecht

Galatasaray

Barcelona

Athletic Bilbao

Weekend Recap - Best 5 Matches

#5 - Anderlecht 2-1 Lokeren (Belgian Supercup)

#4 - Palmeiras 1-2 Cruzeiro (Brasileirão)

#3 - Seattle Sounders 3-3 Tottenham (International Club Friendly)

#2 - Columbus Crew 2-1 Montreal Impact

#1 - AFC Wimbledon 2-3 Chelsea FC (Club Friendly)

European Clubs Released & Leaked Kits 2014-15 Season (Gallery)

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

#5 - Lyon vs Shakhtar Donetsk (Saturday, July 19)

#4 - Hearts vs Manchester City - Club Friendly (Friday, July 18)

#3 - Lille vs Zenit St. Petersburg - Club Friendly (Saturday, July 19)

#2 - Fluminense vs Santos FC - Brazil Serie A (Sunday, July 20)

#1 - Anderlecht vs Lokeren - Belgian Super Cup (Sunday, July 20)

Benfica and the Curse of Béla Guttmann

1963 European Cup Final: AC Milan 2 - Benfica 1

1965 European Cup Final: Internazionale 1 - Benfica 0

1968 European Cup Final: Mancester United 4 - Benfica 1

1983 UEFA Cup Final: Anderlecht 2 - Benfica 1 (On Aggregate)

1988 European Cup Final: PSV Eindhoven 0 - Benfica 0 (6-5 Penalties)

1990 European Cup Final: AC Milan 1 - Benfica 0

2013 UEFA Europa League Final: Chelsea 2 - Benfica 1

2014 UEFA Europa League Final: Seville 0 - Benfica 0 (4-2 Penalties)