Fehér, always one of us!

On January 25, 2004, 18 years ago, football got poorer. Miklós Fehér, 24 years old at the time, fell lifeless on the pitch at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, where the match between V. Guimarães and Benfica was taking place, suffered cardiac arrest, and died at the hospital.

On matchday 19 of the 2003/04 National Championship. The match was in the final minutes with the eagles in the lead – 0-1 – with a goal from Fernando Aguiar. The forward tried to waste time and referee showed him the yellow card, Fehér replied with a smile to the warning and fell to the pitch. He was transported to the hospital, but died shortly afterwards.

Fehér's body lay in a chamber at Estádio da Luz, where thousands of supporters from Sport Lisboa e Benfica and other clubs paid him their last respects. The funeral was held in Gyor, Hungary, his hometown.

In respect to the memory of Miklós Fehér, the Club has retired the number 29, which can never again be worn by any player of the first team; a bust of the athlete was also placed near Gate 18 of the Estádio da Luz.

In order to keep alive the memory of the former football player, the Club established, in 2009, the Miklós Fehér award, in partnership with the school - Bercsényi Miklós - where the player studied, in Gyor, which aims to distinguish every year teachers and students who excel in various areas.

The eternal smile of the number 29 will never be forgotten, because Miklós Fehér will always be one of us!