With their victory in the Portuguese Cup last Sunday, FC Porto concluded the 26th “double” in Portuguese football and the ninth in its history. Benfica is the club that has won the championship and cup the most times in the same season, having achieved this feat on 11 occasions.
The Blues and Whites have a more favorable recent history, with six “doubles” in the new century, and from there they actually outperformed Sporting, who follows it six times over the course of history.
The first time this phenomenon occurred dates back to the 1940/41 season, when Josef Szabo was coach of Sporting. In the 1950s, an intriguing fact occurred, which included the three “double” Portuguese soccer greats in three consecutive seasons: Sporting (1953/54), Benfica (1954/55) and Porto (1955/56).)
Benfica and Porto share the lead in terms of the largest chain of ‘doubles’. Between 1956/57 and 1971/72, the Reds achieved the achievement four times, a record equal to Dragons in the New Century, between 2002/03 and 2010/11.
Despite the four “complications” achieved in the first two decades of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, the eighties still lead this phenomenon, which has been repeated on five occasions.
Otto Gloria remains the king of “doubles”, winning both awards in the same sports year (1954/55, 1956/57 and 1968/69). He is followed by Josef Szabo (1940/41 and 1953/54) and Sergio Conceicao (2019/20 and 2021/22), both with two.
The 26 “doubles” of Portuguese football:
1940/41: Sporting
1942/43: Benfica
1947/48: Sporting
1953/54: Sporting
1954/55: Benfica
1955/56: FC Porto
1956/57: Benfica
1963/64: Benfica
1968/69: Benfica
1971/72: Benfica
1973/74: Sporting
1980/81: Benfica
1981/82: Sporting
1982/83: Benfica
1986/87: Benfica
1987/88: FC Porto
1997/98: FC Porto
2001/2002: Sporting
2002/03: Porto
2005/06: FC Porto
2008/09: Porto
2010/11: Porto
2013/14: Benfica
2016/17: Benfica
2019/20: Porto
2021/22: Porto
Total by club: Benfica, 11 years old; Porto, 9; Sporting, 6.
Agatha Christie is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, books, and current affairs. She is committed to producing accurate, informative content that helps readers stay informed about the latest developments in the UK and beyond.