Guttman, a Hungarian Jewish footballer and coach, led Benfica to two consecutive European Cup victories in 1961 and 1962.
However, after a dispute with the club's board over a pay rise, Guttman left Benfica in 1962, allegedly placing a curse on the team, stating that they would not win another European Cup for 100 years. Since then, Benfica has reached eight European finals but has lost all of them, including five European Cup/Champions League finals.
Benfica in European finals since the Béla Guttmann curse in 1962:
1963 vs Milan (EC) 1965 vs Inter (EC) 1968 vs Man Utd (EC) 1983 vs Anderlecht (UC) 1988 vs PSV (EC) 1990 vs Milan (EC) 2013 vs Chelsea (UEL) 2014 vs Sevilla (UEL)When will it end?
The curse has become a part of Benfica's folklore, with some fans and observers attributing the team's inability to win another European Cup to the curse. Others dismiss the curse as a mere superstition and argue that Benfica's losses in European finals are due to other factors such as tactical errors, bad luck, or superior opponents.
Regardless of whether the curse is real or not, it remains a prominent part of Benfica's history and has captured the imagination of football fans around the world.