14 years ago Luisão was at Benfica. And the others?

The Official Site of SL Benfica found out where were all the players and the coach Rui Vitória 14 years ago.

BENFICA'S SQUAD

JÚLIO CÉSAR

At 24 he was the number 1 goalkeeper at Flamengo – club where he graduated. In the following year he transfer to Italy. His name was already on the Brazilian National team squad lists, but he only made his debut in 2004.

PAULO LOPES

He was in Salgueiros' Starting XI. We played 30 matches in that season, in the II Liga. In the following season he transfer to Estrela da Amadora.

SVILAR

He had completed 4 years in August. Two years later, he began the primary school. Football, at Anderlecht, came a few years later.

BRUNO VARELA

The goalkeeper was 8 years old, about to turn 9. Two years later he started playing at Ponte Frielas before heading to Luz.

ANDRÉ ALMEIDA

He had turned 13 years a month ago, but he was already playing football. He had just left Sporting Youth training teams to join Alverca.

DOUGLAS

Like André Almeida, he was 13 years old. He was playing at Goiás' U-15 team, where he remained until he reached the Seniors.

LISANDRO

The Argentine defender started playing football very late. Only four years after the inauguration of the new Estádio da Luz did he join Chacarita Juniors.

LUISÃO

The centre-back part was the squad at the inauguration o the new Estádio da Luz, but he didn't play in the opening match due an injured sustained on September 28th, 2003 against Nacional. He would returned in December. The debut occurred on August 2003 against Belenenses and he even scored a goal. Nowadays he is the skipper, one of the players with more appearances for the eagles and a reference to the newcomers.

JARDEL

He was 17 years old and he was playing at the youth teams of Avaí. He transferred to Vitória do Brasil in 2005.

KALAICA

At the age of  5, the centre-back would go to primary school the following year. He started playing at Dínamo Zagreb many years later.

RÚBEN DIAS

He had just entered primary school. He arrived at Benfica in 2008 after a spell at  Estrela da Amadora.

ELISEU

The left-back was playing in Belenenses' first team. In the 2003/04 season he made 27 matches and scored two goals.

GRIMALDO

The left-back was 8 years old when the Estádio da Luz was inaugurated. A few years later he started playing at Valencia before travelling to La Masia.

FEJSA

A native of Vrbas, the midfielder started playing at the local club where he stayed until transfering to Hajduk Kula.

SAMARIS

The Greek midfielder was already playing football in the youth teams of the Greek club PAO Patras. In 2006 he began his professional career at Panachaiki.

FILIPE AUGUSTO

In 2003, the midfielder, at the age of 10, already had the dream of becoming a professional football player.

KROVINOVIC

In 2003, the year of inauguration of the new Cathedral, Krovinovic was focused in the studies. The following year, in 2004, he joined the young ranks of Lokomotiva Zegreb, where he remained until 2007.

CHRIEN

He was 8 years old and already played fouth in the youth teams in the Czech club, FK Dukla Banská Bystrica, city of where it is natural.

JOÃO CARVALHO

The midfielder, a native of Castanheira de Pêra, was still studying at the time of construction of the new stadium. He joined the Eagles in 2005.

PIZZI

When the stadium was inaugurated, Pizzi was 14 years old. He was playing at the U-15 team of  Bragança, team he left in 2007 to join SC Braga.  

ZIVKOVIC

The Serbian winger had turned 7 a few months ago and was still in school. The training at Partizan began years later.

CERVI

With 9 years, the Argentinian already had the dream of being a football player at Rosário Central. He began playing in 2001.

SALVIO

Graduated at Lanús, the Argentinian was playing in the U-15 team of the club in 2003. Years later he made his debut in the first team and transferred to Atletico Madrid.

DIOGO GONÇALVES

The winger was 6 year old, he was enrolled in primary school, but he already loved  football.  In 2005, he began playing at Almodôvar.

WILLOCK

With 5 year at the time, Chris Willock was preparing to go to the primary school. In 2007 he started playing at Arsenal.

RAFA

He was still a U-13 player, the forward was playing in the youth teams of Atlético Povoense. In the following year he transferred to Alverca, where he remained until 2010/11.

RAÚL

The Mexican made all academy training in the USA. In 2003, with 12 year, he already had the dream of becoming a professional footballer.

JONAS

When Estádio da Luz was inaugurated, the goal scorer was a reference at U-19 team of Guarani, club where he made his debut in the first team at 2005.

SEFEROVIC

With 11 years at the time, the Swiss international was in the youth teams of FC Sursee. In 2004 he transferred to Luzern.

GABRIEL BARBOSA

The Brazilian was 7 years old and only the school occupied his time. Three years later, he began dividing his time between the school and the Santos youth teams.

COACH

RUI VITÓRIA

He had ended his playing career and had begun his coaching career in the same club, Vilafranquense.

Text: Marco Rebelo