The Curse of Béla Guttmann
In 1962, after guiding S.L. Benfica to two consecutive European Cup titles, Hungarian manager Béla Guttmann left the club when the board refused his request for a pay raise. Before departing, he allegedly cursed the team, proclaiming: “Without me, Benfica will not win another European title for 100 years.”
Since that day, the legend has been fueled by a remarkable losing streak on the continental stage. Benfica has subsequently lost all eight of its European finals—five in the Champions League and three in the Europa League.
