# List of S.L. Benfica managers

Sport Lisboa e Benfica is a Portuguese professional football team based in Lisbon. It was founded as Sport Lisboa on 28 February 1904, following a meeting of former Casa Pia students, led by Cosme Damião, at Farmácia Franco (Franco Pharmacy). Since the club lacked a field to play, it merged with Grupo Sport Benfica on 13 September 1908, thus being renamed Sport Lisboa e Benfica.
Benfica was one of the eight founding members of the Primeira Liga in 1934, and won their first league title in 1935–36, the first of 38 league titles. Moreover, they have won 26 Portuguese Cups, 3 Campeonato de Portugal (the predecessor of the Portuguese Cup), plus a number of other more recently established trophies. Internationally, Benfica have been crowned champions of European football on two occasions, when they won the European Cup in 1961 and 1962.
This page includes a chronological list comprising all those who have held the position of manager of Benfica's first team since its foundation. Each manager's entry includes his dates of tenure and the club's overall competitive record (in terms of matches won, drawn, and lost), honours won and significant achievements while under his care. Caretaker managers are included (when known), as well as those who have been in permanent charge. The club's longest-serving manager is Cosme Damião, who managed the team from 1908 to 1926, totalling 18 years.

## Managerial history

Benfica's first manager ever was Manuel Gourlade, an employee at Fármacia Franco and the club's treasury manager. He served for sixteen matches, from the team's first official match on 4 November 1906 until the end of their second season, in 1907–08, when eight players defected to Sporting CP. From then on, Cosme Damião took over and led the club to its first ever Lisbon Championship, in the 1909–10 season. Until the end of the 1910s, he won seven more championships – the last one, in 1920, was particularly hard because of another mass player defection to recently created clubs Os Belenenses and Casa Pia. Facing a much less talented squad and an ever increasing debt related to the construction of football fields, Benfica entered a trophyless period, which led to the departure of Cosme Damião in 1926, after 18 years in charge.
Damião was replaced by Ribeiro dos Reis, a former player of the club who had recently managed the Portugal national team. Despite the slight improvement of Benfica's performances, he failed to win any silverware, ending his spell in 1929 to make way for a foreign manager, Arthur John, who would also double as a masseur for the club's other sports. He was much more successful, leading the club to its first national title, the Championship of Portugal in 1929–30, and retaining it in the next season. Following his move to Sporting in the next season, Benfica reappointed Ribeiro dos Reis for a second spell; nonetheless, he did not fare much better in his second year, adding only a Lisbon Championship, by then a second grade competition. He was succeeded by Vítor Gonçalves in 1934, who would reconquer the Championship of Portugal in his first season and lead the team to their first ever Primeira Liga title in his second tenure.
The managerial changes continued in 1936, with Benfica hiring the first of six Hungarian managers, Lippo Hertzka, who had led Real Madrid to their first La Liga title in 1932. He remained victorious at Benfica, adding two more Primeira Liga titles in three seasons. In 1939, Benfica changed manager again, hiring János Biri. In his first year, he won the club's last Lisbon Championship as well as their first Portuguese Cup. Over the following six seasons, he managed the team in 272 games, winning three Primeira Liga titles and another two Portuguese Cups. With the appearance of Sporting's "five violins" in 1946, Benfica attempted to fight them by sacking Biri at the end of the season and rehiring Hertzka. Under his guidance, Benfica led the 1947–48 league for most of the season; however, they finished in second place, equalised on points with Sporting but with one goal less. Benfica then returned to English managers, hiring Ted Smith in 1948. He guided the team to the Portuguese Cup in his first year, to the league title and to their first international trophy, the Latin Cup, in his second year. He later concluded his two remaining seasons at Benfica with two more Portuguese Cup trophies – although the latter cup was also conquered by his assistant, Cândido Tavares, after Smith's return to England.
For 1952–53, Benfica hired Alberto Zozaya only to be replaced in the middle of the season by Ribeiro dos Reis, whose third spell at the club would lead them to a second place league finish and one Portuguese Cup. Later on, Ribeiro dos Reis led the club halfway through the next year, with José Valdivieso ending their first trophyless season in five years. Benfica then hired Otto Glória, a Brazilian manager that would revolutionise the club by introducing professionalisation. He introduced: a house for the players to focus before matches, and to strengthen discipline; increased wages, allowing professional footballers instead of part-time players; improved physical training; careful supervision of the players' food; regular medical check-ups; an academic program to improve the players' education; the teaching of English language and also, through etiquette, on how to dress and eat.

## Statistics

    Information correct as of 27 February 2025. Only competitive matches are counted.

### Table headers

* Nat. – The coach's nationality is given as his country of birth.
* From – The date the coach began working for Benfica.
* To – The date the coach last worked for Benfica.
* P – The number of games coached for Benfica.
* W – The number of games won as a coach.
* D – The number of games draw as a coach.
* L – The number of games lost as a coach.
* GF – The number of goals scored under his tenure.
* GA – The number of goals conceded under his tenure.
* Win% – The total winning percentage under his tenure.
* Honours – The trophies won while coaching Benfica.

### Table key

* Player-coach (team player that assumed simultaneously the role of coach)
* Caretaker coach (coach who assumed temporarily the job in the absence of the incumbent head coach or until a new head coach was hired)
Managers of S.L. Benfica, their statistics and honours :
| Name | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% | Honours |
| Manuel Gourlade | 4 November 1906 | 22 March 1908 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 050.00 | |
| Cosme Damião | 17 October 1908 | 28 March 1926 | 157 | 102 | 21 | 34 | 427 | 161 | 064.97 | 99988 Campeonato de Lisboa |
| Ribeiro dos Reis | 17 October 1926 | 26 May 1929 | 52 | 28 | 11 | 13 | 128 | 86 | 053.85 | |
| Arthur John | 20 October 1929 | 28 June 1931 | 46 | 28 | 6 | 12 | 137 | 55 | 060.87 | 99982 Campeonato de Portugal |
| Ribeiro dos Reis | 10 January 1932 | 30 June 1934 | 56 | 37 | 8 | 11 | 135 | 70 | 066.07 | 99981 Campeonato de Lisboa |
| Vítor Gonçalves | 1 October 1934 | 30 May 1936 | 63 | 41 | 9 | 13 | 184 | 91 | 065.08 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 1 Campeonato de Portugal |
| Lippo Hertzka | 1 October 1936 | 25 June 1939 | 92 | 61 | 14 | 17 | 290 | 127 | 066.30 | 99982 Primeira Divisão |
| János Biri | 1 September 1939 | 2 July 1947 | 272 | 194 | 25 | 53 | 982 | 470 | 071.32 | 99983 Primeira Divisão 3 Taça de Portugal 1 Campeonato de Lisboa |
| Lippo Hertzka | 1 September 1947 | 30 June 1948 | 30 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 97 | 42 | 073.33 | |
| Ted Smith | 1 July 1948 | 6 April 1952 | 109 | 73 | 18 | 18 | 354 | 148 | 066.97 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 2 Taça de Portugal 1 Latin Cup |
| Cândido Tavares | 3 December 1951 | 15 June 1952 | 17 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 59 | 19 | 076.47 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Alberto Zozaya | 1 September 1952 | 1 February 1953 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 45 | 17 | 066.67 | |
| Ribeiro dos Reis | 2 February 1953 | 20 December 1953 | 28 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 77 | 28 | 067.86 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| José Valdivieso | 21 December 1953 | 31 May 1954 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 46 | 37 | 042.11 | |
| Otto Glória | 1 August 1954 | 14 June 1959 | 169 | 113 | 30 | 26 | 447 | 163 | 066.86 | 99982 Primeira Divisão 2 Taça de Portugal |
| José Valdivieso | 14 June 1959 | 30 June 1959 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Béla Guttmann | 1 July 1959 | 30 June 1962 | 124 | 89 | 20 | 15 | 402 | 144 | 071.77 | 99982 Primeira Divisão 2 European Cup |
| Fernando Caiado | 1 July 1962 | 1 July 1962 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100.00 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Fernando Riera | 1 October 1962 | 30 May 1963 | 43 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 130 | 44 | 076.74 | 99981 Primeira Divisão |
| Lajos Czeizler | 1 June 1963 | 30 June 1964 | 41 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 169 | 44 | 080.49 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 1 Taça de Portugal |
| Elek Schwartz | 1 July 1964 | 30 June 1965 | 46 | 33 | 7 | 6 | 157 | 41 | 071.74 | 99981 Primeira Divisão |
| Béla Guttmann | 1 July 1965 | 30 June 1966 | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 116 | 51 | 065.79 | |
| Fernando Riera | 1 July 1966 | 30 November 1967 | 49 | 35 | 8 | 6 | 123 | 33 | 071.43 | Primeira Divisão |
| Fernando Cabrita | 1 December 1967 | 7 April 1968 | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 51 | 17 | 072.22 | |
| Otto Glória | 8 April 1968 | 8 February 1970 | 75 | 45 | 16 | 14 | 170 | 65 | 060.00 | 99982 Primeira Divisão 1 Taça de Portugal |
| José Augusto | 9 February 1970 | 14 May 1970 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 13 | 075.00 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Jimmy Hagan | 30 June 1970 | 23 September 1973 | 120 | 94 | 14 | 12 | 339 | 80 | 078.33 | 99983 Primeira Divisão 1 Taça de Portugal |
| Fernando Cabrita | 24 September 1973 | 9 June 1974 | 35 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 83 | 25 | 068.57 | |
| Milorad Pavić | 1 July 1974 | 30 June 1975 | 41 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 86 | 21 | 065.85 | 99981 Primeira Divisão |
| Mário Wilson | 1 July 1975 | 30 June 1976 | 37 | 25 | 5 | 7 | 108 | 32 | 067.57 | 99981 Primeira Divisão |
| John Mortimore | 1 July 1976 | 30 June 1979 | 114 | 79 | 22 | 13 | 244 | 77 | 069.30 | 99981 Primeira Divisão |
| Mário Wilson | 1 July 1979 | 30 June 1980 | 39 | 27 | 7 | 5 | 102 | 27 | 069.23 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Lajos Baróti | 1 July 1980 | 30 June 1982 | 92 | 63 | 16 | 13 | 187 | 59 | 068.48 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 1 Taça de Portugal 1 Supertaça de Portugal |
| Sven-Göran Eriksson | 1 July 1982 | 30 June 1984 | 91 | 65 | 17 | 9 | 223 | 60 | 071.43 | 99982 Primeira Divisão 1 Taça de Portugal |
| Pál Csernai | 1 July 1984 | 30 June 1985 | 45 | 28 | 7 | 10 | 100 | 41 | 062.22 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| John Mortimore | 1 July 1985 | 4 June 1987 | 88 | 60 | 19 | 9 | 173 | 52 | 068.18 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 2 Taça de Portugal 1 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Ebbe Skovdahl | 10 July 1987 | 28 November 1987 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 7 | 062.50 | |
| Toni | 29 November 1987 | 30 May 1989 | 87 | 52 | 24 | 11 | 158 | 52 | 059.77 | 99981 Primeira Divisão |
| Sven-Göran Eriksson | 1 July 1989 | 30 June 1992 | 143 | 94 | 31 | 18 | 304 | 85 | 065.73 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 1 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Tomislav Ivić | 1 July 1992 | 25 October 1992 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 8 | 058.33 | |
| Toni | 26 October 1992 | 30 June 1994 | 85 | 57 | 19 | 9 | 176 | 62 | 067.06 | 99981 Primeira Divisão 1 Taça de Portugal |
| Artur Jorge | 1 July 1994 | 9 September 1995 | 54 | 28 | 15 | 11 | 92 | 45 | 051.85 | |
| Mário Wilson | 10 September 1995 | 30 June 1996 | 43 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 77 | 39 | 067.44 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Paulo Autuori | 1 July 1996 | 19 January 1997 | 23 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 43 | 19 | 060.87 | |
| Mário Wilson | 20 January 1997 | 26 January 1997 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 000.00 | |
| Manuel José | 26 January 1997 | 20 September 1997 | 29 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 39 | 33 | 048.28 | |
| Mário Wilson | 21 September 1997 | 1 November 1997 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 050.00 | |
| Graeme Souness | 1 November 1997 | 2 May 1999 | 71 | 41 | 15 | 15 | 139 | 65 | 057.75 | |
| Shéu | 3 May 1999 | 30 May 1999 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 050.00 | |
| Jupp Heynckes | 31 May 1999 | 20 September 2000 | 48 | 27 | 8 | 13 | 81 | 55 | 056.25 | |
| José Mourinho | 20 September 2000 | 5 December 2000 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 9 | 054.55 | |
| Toni | 7 December 2000 | 27 December 2001 | 43 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 67 | 58 | 039.53 | |
| Jesualdo Ferreira | 29 December 2001 | 25 November 2002 | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 65 | 32 | 053.33 | |
| Fernando Chalana | 25 November 2002 | 30 November 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| José Antonio Camacho | 1 December 2002 | 25 May 2004 | 71 | 47 | 14 | 10 | 133 | 60 | 066.20 | 99981 Taça de Portugal |
| Giovanni Trapattoni | 5 July 2004 | 31 May 2005 | 51 | 29 | 10 | 12 | 82 | 50 | 056.86 | 99981 Primeira Liga |
| Ronald Koeman | 8 June 2005 | 8 May 2006 | 49 | 27 | 11 | 11 | 64 | 38 | 055.10 | 99981 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Fernando Santos | 20 May 2006 | 20 August 2007 | 49 | 29 | 11 | 9 | 86 | 41 | 059.18 | |
| José Antonio Camacho | 20 August 2007 | 9 March 2008 | 38 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 57 | 29 | 047.37 | |
| Fernando Chalana | 10 March 2008 | 11 May 2008 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 030.00 | |
| Quique Flores | 24 May 2008 | 8 June 2009 | 44 | 23 | 12 | 9 | 73 | 47 | 052.27 | 99981 Taça da Liga |
| Jorge Jesus | 17 June 2009 | 4 June 2015 | 321 | 225 | 51 | 45 | 674 | 249 | 070.09 | 99983 Primeira Liga 1 Taça de Portugal 5 Taça da Liga 1 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Rui Vitória | 15 June 2015 | 4 January 2019 | 180 | 123 | 27 | 30 | 382 | 160 | 068.33 | 99982 Primeira Liga 1 Taça de Portugal 1 Taça da Liga 2 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Bruno Lage | 3 January 2019 | 4 July 2020 | 76 | 51 | 12 | 13 | 181 | 75 | 067.11 | 99981 Primeira Liga 1 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Nélson Veríssimo | 30 June 2020 | 1 August 2020 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 066.67 | |
| Jorge Jesus | 3 August 2020 | 28 December 2021 | 83 | 52 | 17 | 14 | 182 | 80 | 062.65 | |
| Nélson Veríssimo | 28 December 2021 | 13 May 2022 | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 41 | 29 | 048.00 | |
| Roger Schmidt | 18 May 2022 | 31 August 2024 | 115 | 80 | 20 | 15 | 250 | 97 | 069.57 | 99981 Primeira Liga 1 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira |
| Bruno Lage | 5 September 2024 | Present | 36 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 88 | 32 | 072.22 | 99981 Taça da Liga |