benfica

n. Name of Portugal's, Europe's and the World's biggest club. According to the Guiness Book of World Records: "The most widely supported football club is Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Portugal, which has 160,398 paid-up members. The record was acknowledged on 9 November 2006 during the celebrations for Guinness World Records Day. The team, better known as just Benfica or, by fans, SLB, has supporters in most municipalities of Portugal ­ and in cities throughout the world, namely Andorra, Angola, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, England, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Luxembourg, Macao, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States." Benfica is one of the most prominent clubs in Europe having reached the final of the UEFA Champions Cup for 7 times (2W/5L). It it often said that Benfica is bigger than the country in which it was born - and not without cause. Because of its size, illustrious history and enduring popularity at home and abroad, Benfica is also the most hated, vilified and secretly envied institution in Portugal.