Prior to playing Beleneses on the 20th July Sunderland will play Benfica B in the pre-season in Portugal.
SUNDERLAND VS BENFICA B
Estadio de Municipal Albufeira
Thursday 18th July 7.30pm
Benfica are the current champions of Portugal and by far the most decorated club in the country. They are nicknamed ‘The Eagles’ after 70’s boy band ‘The Eagles’, who hailed from Henley, (posh area of London Town not famed for pollution, crime and general discontent)
Not sure whether the B team get to use the official team coach ~ but it is the best decorated bus I’ve ever seen.
Benfica, like Sunderland play at the Stadium of Light ~ they renamed it in 1998 after copying us. Prior to 1998, it was known locally as “The Benfica Ground”
Like all massive clubs they have their own museum
Like a lot of overseas clubs, Benfica have a President rather than a Chairman, no idea what the difference is? Benfica’s current Chairman is Luis Filipe Viera
The biggest challengers to Benfica in Portugal are Porto and Sporting Lesbian. Benfica vs Porto is considered the main rivalry in Portuguese football, it’s known as “O’ Classico” ~ not to be confused with the SAFC vs North Yorkshire’s Middlesbrough Town ~ “El Crappico”.
Bizarrely the teams met in 2016, with SAFC winning a thriller at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground….
The city of Lisbon is entrenched in the folklore of scotch football; in 1967 Glasgow Rangers were the first British winners of the European Cup. The whole city of Glasgow celebrated the achievements of the ‘Lisbon Bears’, (I think?).
Anyway should be a good trip… plenty of sun and Sagres, decent bar, which from memory serves decent burgers in a soft white roll ~ non of this ‘shiny yellow brioche’ favoured by hipster types.
FTM
Next week… the SAFCBlog 2018/19 awards, kindly sponsored by Mr C. Greenwood of the Cockwell Inn, HG3, (booking not always necessary)
