2005–06 S.L. Benfica season
The 2005–06 European football season was the 102nd season of Sport Lisboa e Benfica's existence and the club's 72nd consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. The season ran from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006; Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal and also participated in the UEFA Champions League as a result of finishing first in the Primeira Liga the previous season.
| 2005–06 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Luís Filipe Vieira | ||
| Head coach | Ronald Koeman | ||
| Stadium | Estádio da Luz | ||
| Primeira Liga | 3rd | ||
| Taça de Portugal | Quarter-finals | ||
| Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira | Winners | ||
| UEFA Champions League | Quarter-finals | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Nuno Gomes (15) All: Nuno Gomes (17) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 65,000 v Barcelona (28 March 2006) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 18,000 v Nacional (8 February 2006) | ||
| Biggest win | Benfica 4–0 União de Leiria (18 September 2005) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 2 goal difference in 6 matches | ||
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After Giovanni Trapattoni led Benfica to their first league title in 11 years, he resigned for personal reasons. To replace him, the club hired Ronald Koeman, who was assisted by Bruins Slot and Fernando Chalana. Benfica remained highly active in the transfer market, signing and releasing over twelve players. Noticeable additions were Anderson, Léo and Nélson to the back four; Karagounis and Miccoli to the offence. The departures included Miguel, the biggest loss.
Benfica started the domestic season by winning their fourth Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, beating Vitória de Setúbal one-nil. In the Primeira Liga, Benfica struggled initially, making their worst entry ever. Results improved following a European win against Lille, with Benfica climbing several places and defeating Porto in the Clássico. In late October, the team experienced a drop in form, going a month without a win. In December, Benfica's results improved in December, qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in eleven years and winning nearly ten matches in a row, allowing them to get within three points of the top of the league.
In the final match of January, Benfica lost to Sporting CP and underwent another erratic period, losing two more league matches in February. A home win against Liverpool motivated them; they beat Porto and eliminated the reigning title-holders from the Champions League. This success was not replicated domestically; in mid-March, Benfica lost further ground in the Primeira Liga and were eliminated from the Portuguese Cup. Koeman's side recovered, but they were eliminated by Barcelona from the Champions League and failed to overtake Sporting when they dropped seven points in three match-days. At the end of the season, Koeman left the club by mutual consent.