Few shirts in Europe carry as much weight as Benfica's bright red one. It holds a Lisbon pharmacy, an eagle, the greatest Portuguese goalscorer of all time and a curse that, according to legend, still holds. Let's start from the beginning.

A pharmacy in Belém, 1904

On 28 February 1904, 24 people gathered at the Franco pharmacy on Rua Direita de Belém in Lisbon. That is where Sport Lisboa was born, with José Rosa Rodrigues as its first president. Among those present was Cosme Damião, the figure who would become identified with the club's first steps.

The team played its first match on 1 January 1905. On 13 September 1908 came the merger with Grupo Sport Benfica. That produced the name we know today: Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

Why red and white?

The founders chose red and white. The explanation given is a practical one: the two colours stood out better to the players' eyes on the pitch.

Over the years red also took on symbolic meaning, being linked to bravery, while white stands for peace. There is a historical detail too: in 1936 Portuguese censorship blocked the word "vermelhos" (reds). So the nickname "Encarnados", which also means "the Reds", took hold.

The eagle and "E pluribus unum"

On the crest the eagle stands on a red and white shield, a symbol of independence, authority and nobility. That is where the team's other nickname, "Águias", the Eagles, comes from. Below the eagle are the initials SLB on a football.

The Latin motto "E pluribus unum" means "Out of many, one" and speaks of the unity of the members. If you look closely, there is also a bicycle wheel on the crest. It was added in 1908, because cycling was one of Grupo Sport Benfica's sports.

The two European triumphs

Under Hungarian coach Béla Guttmann, Benfica did something unique for Portuguese football. In 1961 they beat Barcelona 3–2 in the European Cup final. A year later they lifted the trophy again.

The 1962 final, on 2 May at Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium, was a spectacle. Real Madrid led thanks to a Puskás hat-trick, but Benfica turned the game around and won 5–3. The red shirt now had its place on the map of Europe.

Eusébio, the "Black Panther"

Eusébio arrived from Sporting de Lourenço Marques, in Mozambique, in May 1961, after a long and disputed transfer. He scored twice in the 1962 final. In 1965 he won the Ballon d'Or, and he remains the only player to win it while playing for a Portuguese club.

With 473 goals in 440 official games, he is Benfica's all-time top scorer. They called him the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or simply "the King".

Guttmann's "curse"

After the 1962 triumph, Guttmann asked for a raise or a bonus, the board refused and he left. Sources differ on the details. According to legend, as he left he said that without him Benfica would not be European champions again for a hundred years.

Whether it was a curse or just a bitter threat, everyone can judge for themselves. The numbers, though, are harsh: the team lost all eight European finals it played from 1962 to 2015. It is even said that Eusébio prayed at Guttmann's grave in 1990, before yet another final, to no avail.

A shirt that is a piece of history

The Benfica shirt is not just a red top. It is the eagle, the Eagles of the Luz, the two European Cups of '61 and '62 and the anxiety of a crowd still waiting for the spell to break. That is why collectors love it, whether it is a retro design or this season's kit.

See our Benfica jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Benfica's Estádio da Luz in Lisbon – Alvesgaspar, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.