The Black Panther of Portugal: Eusebio

Eusebio

“To me, Eusebio will always be the greatest player of all time.”-Alfredo Di Stefano.

To be called the greatest by arguably the best in the business must be something special. But then, Eusebio was a rare kind of special. He was special every time he stepped onto a football field, and it was clear from the very start that the Mozambican born striker was destined for a special place in history. A naturally gifted athletic body combined with a brilliant footballing brain was a lethal combination. Add to that the rarest of those rare gifts; an uncanny vision to pick up a pass and bomb it into the back of the net, and you may start making sense of Di Stefano’s statement.

Numbers in football are often overrated, but 638 goals in 614 games for S.L Benfica is nothing short of astonishing. Compare that with Cristiano Ronaldo’s stats of 228 goals in 220 games for Real Madrid, and you can see the influence of Eusebio in his time.

Eusebio arrived at Benfica in the December of 1960 but did not feature in the first team till the May of next year. He was finally given a chance to shine in a Benfica shirt in a friendly game against Athletico Clube de Portugal, and shine he did. A hat trick on debut is the stuff of dreams, but Eusebio had made it look ridiculously easy that day. It was a pattern that was to be seen often in the next 15 years as Benfica relied heavily on Eusebio’s brilliance in front of goal to see off big opponents.

In the final of the Paris Invitational tournament in June 1961, Benfica ran into Pele’s Santos. By the 60^th minute, the game was all but over, with Santos enjoying a 4-0 lead. Bela Gutmann, manager of Benfica and the man credited with mentoring the prodigious talent into a world class striker, decided to try out the youngster in the last half an hour. Shortly after, Santos added one more goal. What transpired later was nothing short of magical. In 17 minutes of breathtaking football from the Portuguese side, Eusebio scored three scintillating goals and almost singlehandedly turned the tide of the game. Santos won 6-3 in the end, but Eusebio had announced himself on the big stage.

The following season was the start of a special journey for Eusebio and Benfica. In 17 league matches, the talented forward notched up 12 goals guiding Benfica to the third spot in the league, and was also instrumental in them winning the Portuguese Cup. Benfica reached the European final for a second successive year and was up against a star studded Real Madrid team that had the likes of Puskas, Gento and the venerable Alfredo Di Stefano. Despite a Puskas hat trick, Benfica ran riot in the match, and the ageing Galacticos of Madrid could not match the speed of the Benfica forwards. Eusebio was unstoppable, and at the end of the game, had a winners’ medal and the shirt of Di Stefano, his idol, to cherish. Eusebio finished second in the 1962 Ballon d’Or, a remarkable feat to achieve in his first ever full season.

It is poetic perhaps that the best decade in Benfica’s footballing history coincided with Eusebio’s peak years. He was the focal point of all team strategies, and lead by example when it came to fighting it out and playing a fair game at the same time. No surprise really that during his time, Benfica won the league 11 times, a European Cup and an amazing 5 European finals in one decade. Eusebio won various personal accolades in those years, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1965 and coming second the following year where he lost to Bobby Charlton by a single vote. In 1968, he was awarded the Golden Boot for most number of goals in Europe, and achieved that feat again five years later.

Eusebio was gifted with an immensely strong physique, and an extra ordinary pace. He wasn’t the most technically gifted player around, but he had an amazing eye for goal and could run with the ball at tremendous pace, leaving defenders chasing shadows. He was the shining beacon to rally around for a young Portugal team, and was the leading goal scorer with nine goals at the 1966 World Cup finals in England. Under the leadership of Eusebio, Portugal topped a tough group that had reigning champions Brazil along with Hungary and Bulgaria. He was solely responsible for Brazil’s early elimination from the finals, scoring two goals in a 3-1 reverse for Brazil.

It is the quarterfinal match at this World Cup that Eusebio is most remembered for. Portugal were facing North Korea, a team that had produced some quality football in the group stages to eliminate giants Italy. Even though Portugal were overwhelming favourites to advance, North Korea clearly fancied their chances and on match day stunned everyone including themselves by going 3-0 up in just 25 minutes. The early whiff of a semi final must have gotten in their heads, because Portugal caught them napping and made them pay heavily for it. The man responsible for this was none other than Eusebio, who scored four goals either side of half time and brought down North Korea with a ruthless display of raw power and an unparalleled hunger for victory. It was by far his best performance on a football pitch; and it was clear that he was head and shoulders above his competition.

The World Cup was ultimately a heart break for Eusebio and Portugal however, as they lost 1-2 to hosts England in the semi final. The match venue was changed from Portugal’s base in Liverpool to the Wembley stadium in London at the last moment in controversial circumstances. The long drive left the Portuguese players exhausted, and they had the mental strain of a semi final to deal with.

Eusebio in tears after the loss to England

In the match, Eusebio was marked down by England and Manchester United midfielder Nobby Stiles. Stiles’ physical game was too much for Eusebio to handle, and with their best player almost absent, Portugal were unable to infiltrate England’s defense and subsequently caved in to the England assault. The loss in the semi final was, by the man’s own admittance, the toughest moment of his life.

Despite this heart shattering defeat, Portugal rallied back and defeated the Soviet Union in a third place play-off, with Eusebio leading the way for a 2-1 victory. It remains Portugal’s best World Cup performance to date. Eusebio was awarded the Golden Boot for his nine goals and the Bronze Ball.

Eusebio’s wonderful career was littered with several heartbreaks, most notably in Europe. Benfica came close on three occasions in European Cup finals, most notably the 1968 European Cup Final at Wembley against Manchester United. With the score tied at 1-1, Eusebio came within a hair’s breadth to win the cup for his team with a late shot at goal in a one on one showdown with the keeper. Alex Stepney made a fantastic save to stop a thunderous shot from Eusebio and after Stepney threw the ball back into play, Eusebio went to Stepney and congratulated him for a fine save.

It is one of the most enduring images in European footballing history, Eusebio patting Stepney on his back despite knowing he had been denied a sure winner. Such was Eusebio’s nature; to play the game hard, but fair. Benfica would go on to lose 1-4 in extra time, but Eusebio’s gesture is still remembered just as fondly as Manchester United’s victory.

Eusebio gradually faded from the scene with several injuries slowing him down as the years went by. He eventually shifted to the greener pastures of American soccer, before retiring in 1979. Even after retirement, Eusebio remained involved with football, serving in the technical committee of the Portugal national team.

For many, including the great Pele, Eusebio was the undisputed king of football.That he had a god given talent, was clear to everyone who was fortunate enough to watch him play. It was his humility however, that paved his way in the pantheons of greatness.