Béla Guttmann

Béla Guttmann (1899–1981) was a Hungarian football player and manager who led Benfica to consecutive European Cup titles in 1961 and 1962.

Eusébio: A Portuguese-Mozambican footballer who became Benfica’s leading star and won the 1965 Ballon d’Or. Guttmann coached Eusébio during Benfica’s 1961–62 European Cup-winning campaign.
1961 European Cup final: The final in which Benfica defeated Barcelona 3–2 to win its first European Cup. Guttmann’s Benfica secured its first continental title in this match.
WM formation: A football formation with three defenders, two half-backs, two inside forwards, and three forwards. The WM system shaped tactical thinking during Guttmann’s playing and early coaching years.
Béla Guttmann curse: A Benfica legend that Guttmann cursed the club after leaving, predicting it would win no further European titles for a century. The saying emerged from Guttmann’s departure after Benfica’s 1962 triumph and later final defeats.
José Águas: A Portuguese footballer who captained Benfica and scored in two European Cup finals. As captain, Águas led the Benfica side Guttmann guided to the 1961 European Cup.
1962 European Cup final: The final in which Benfica defeated Real Madrid 5–3 to retain the European Cup. Guttmann’s team beat the competition’s dominant early-era club to win again.
4–2–4 formation: An attacking football formation with four defenders, two midfielders, and four forwards. Guttmann’s Benfica is associated with the flexible attacking football that made this shape influential.
European Cup: A European club football competition held from 1955 to 1992, succeeded by the UEFA Champions League. Guttmann’s consecutive wins made him a major figure in the competition’s early history.
Géza Kertész: A Hungarian football manager who coached clubs in Italy during the interwar and wartime years. Kertész and Guttmann belonged to the generation of Hungarian coaches who worked across Europe.
1963 European Cup final: The European Cup final in which Milan defeated Benfica 2–1 at Wembley Stadium. Benfica reached the final after Guttmann left, beginning a run of losses often linked to his curse.

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