Four years without King Eusébio

January 5^th, 2014 is a date engraved in the memory of the Benfiquistas, but not only. It was the day in which Eusébio, Benfica's greatest figure and symbol of Portugal, passed away due to a cardiac arrest, already in the hospital, leaving the world of football poorer, at the age of 71 . 

Born on January 25th, 1942, in Lourenço Marques, currently Maputo, Eusébio arrived at Benfica in 1960, with 18 years of age, where he remained until 1975. During his spell at the Club, he was 10 times National Champion, having scored 638 goals in 614 matches for Benfica. He was also, for example, European Champion.

On the day in which the world cried his death, many Benfica fans traveled to Luz to pay tribute to whom, for many people, is the best Portuguese footballer of all times. Eusébio's statue became a place of pilgrimage and, to preserve the scarfs, posters, and jerseys many people laid there, the president Luís Filipe Vieira ordered the construction of a mausoleum.

Since January 5^th, 2014, the tributes have multiplied, between films, documentaries, and plays. In 2015, the first anniversary of the Black Panther's death coincided with the inauguration of the "Avenida Eusébio da Silva Ferreira". On July 3, 2015, the body of the former forward was transferred to the National Pantheon.

15 SEASONS WITH AN EAGLE UPON HIS CHEST

The young footballer integrated a great squad, Two-time Champions and European Champions, sublimating the capacity of the teams built by the coach, Béla Guttman, to a unique quality in Portugal, succeeding Real Madrid CF with the most competitive, handsome and dominant football in the Old Continent. 

After playing in the last round in his first season, having Benfica already secured the National Title, in the 14 complete seasons - 1961/62 to 1974/75 - that he played with the "Sacred Mantle" Benfica won 10 National Championships, with a cycle of three "Tricampeonatos"(three league titles in  row), five Portuguese Cups, five Lisbon Honor Cups and the ultimate glory of being part of the group of players that, becoming European Champions, made the Glorioso Two-time Champions in the European Champions Club's Cup.

One of the best in the bicentennial history of World Football. Eusébio was and is unique. And Benfica his eternal Club.

TOP SCORER IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPION CLUB'S CUP

In the period in which he played with the "Sacred Mantle" Eusébio was the top scorer of the European Champion Club's Cup, in those 14 season, with eleven eleven presences in the most important UEFA competition. In three editions– 1964/65, 1965/66 and 1967/68 – he was also the top goal scorer of the competition, respectively, with nine, seven and six goals. When he scored the last goal, the 46th, he was in the second place in the list o top scorer ever in the competition (in  1973/74), three goals shy of matching Di Stéfano from Real Madrid (1955/56 - 1963/64).

Golden ball in 1965, it was a year later that his name shone more brightly in the world football: Golden Boot in the 1966 World Cup, leading Portugal to a historic third place, with nine goals. Eusébio won two European Golden Boots (1968 and 1973) and was the "runner-up" in Golden Boots of 1962 and 1966. 

TYPES OF GOAL

An unforgiving footballer, Eusébio was a scorer of many and great goals in any competition and against all clubs. He scored 638 goals "of all shapes and sizes". He scored many from open play (457) and from dead-ball situations (181). As expected, he scored more goals from close range (472) but the number of goals from outside the box is impressive (166). He mainly scored goals with his feet (574) but also through headers (61) and he also scored with other parts of his body, apart from the feet and head (3 goals). A free kick expert(46) and in not missing penalty kicks (74).

Regardless of the club choice, Eusébio was, is and will always be the eternal King of Football. “I have a profound gratitude for Eusébio because I lived some of the most amazing afternoon of my life watching him play. Eusébio will never die because is example will continue well present among us. Fortunately, we have been able to celebrate his talent and ins legacy while he was still alive”, said the president Luís Filipe Vieira at the time of the Black Panther's death.