Benfica Campus 14 Anniversary Club

Man dreams, the work is born! The desire of President Luís Filipe Vieira to build a training center with the necessary conditions for the development of young players and that would also serve as a strongbox for Professional Football became reality on September 22, 2006, 14 years ago. Happy birthday, Benfica Campus!

Since the year 2000h, there is a concept that remains the… "Formar a Ganhar"[Develop to win] remains the key idea of the Benfica Campus, which in 14 years has borne so much fruit. "Talent Factory", "Diamond Mine", "Gold Mine", "Player Maker Machine"… it has been dubbed everything by the international press.

The squad list of the national coach is an example of that. In the list announced by Fernando Santos on August 24 tens Benfica academy graduates: João Félix, Bernardo Silva, João Cancelo, Nélson Semedo, Gonçalo Guedes, André Gomes, Renato Sanches, Danilo Pereira, Rúben Dias and Mário Rui.

In 14 years, Benfica Campus has been home to many young people who have worked hard to get lucky in a reality of maximum demand. Among others, they are a great example of this: Ederson, João Cancelo, André Gomes, Nélson Semedo, Gonçalo Guedes, Rúben Dias, Florentino, Renato Sanches, Rony Lopes, Jota, Gedson Fernandes, Ricardo Horta, Tomás Tavares, Nuno Tavares, Buta, Hélder Costa, João Carvalho, Diogo Gonçalves, Ivan Cavaleiro, André Horta, Nélson Oliveira, Roderick Miranda, Paulo Bernardo, Rafael Brito, Ronaldo Camará and Umaro Embaló, and the club's biggest sale ever and winner of Golden Boy 2019, João Félix.

INFRAESTRUCTURE

Area: 19 hectares;
9 pitches (6 natural grass– Football 11; 2 artificial grass – football 11; 1 artificial grass (covered - reduced measurements - adjacent to the 360s);
Field no. 1 with capacity for 2721 spectators (1533 covered seats);
Field n.º 7 with capacity for 604 spectators;
Hotel with 86 rooms (30 rooms first team, 56 rooms youth football – 98 beds);
2 gymnasiums (523m2, 475m2);
28 dressing rooms [5 team dressing rooms (daily work), 12 dressing rooms for competition, 5 dressing rooms for referees and 6 dressing rooms for the staff];
360s space;
5 kit rooms;
3 physiotherapy rooms;
2 treatment and consultation rooms;
2 physical evaluation rooms;
2 auditoriums;
Other spaces: study room, offices, bar, meeting rooms and living room;
Laundry;
Kitchen and 2 dining areas.

Sports data since the inauguration of Benfica Campus (YOUTH FOOTBALL)

14 National titles (U-19– 2, U-17– 6, U-15– 6);
In the last seasons (since 2007/2008), Benfica always won at least won national championship;
In 2015/2016, o Benfica won 8 of the 12 competitions it took part in.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
U-19s: 2013/14 | 2017/18
U-17s: 2007/08 | 2010/11 | 2012/13 | 2014/15 | 2017/18 | 2018/19
U-15s: 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2011/12 | 2013/14 | 2015/16 | 2016/17

HISTORY AND FACTS

2000 – "First stone" – Symbolic act of the beginning of the project construction;
2003 – Start of the construction work;
September 22, 2006 – Inauguration;
2008 – First title won at the Benfica Campus – U-17s;
2013 – "First stone" of the Campus' expansion;
2013 – Inauguration of the new stand of Field no. 1, from 1520 to 2721 spectators;
2013/2014 – First edition of the UEFA Youth League, in which Benfica was the runner-up;
2013/2014 – UEFA award "Best Implementation of the UEFA Youth League Values";
2014 – Expansion of the Campus, from 15 to 19 hectares, from 3 to 6 grass pitches;
2014 – Inauguration of 360s space;
2015 – "Best Academy of the Year" award by the Globe Soccer Awards;
2019 – For the second time, Benfica is awarded the prize "Best Academy of The Year" at the Globe Soccer Awards gala;
2020 – Football Talent Scout platform study elects Benfica Campus as the best academy in the last decade.