Lisbon Sports & Outdoors Tips by schmechi

Benfica and Estádio da Luz Stadiums and sports venues Review

Portugueses are enthusiastic about football. When there is a great game, everybody is watching, wheter in the stadium or in front of the TVs, which will be observed in all cafes.
So visiting the stadium is a good idea to make something typical and to meet real Portuguese. Besides the great clubs play really good football, so you will not regret the entrance fee.

The most famous Lisbon football club is Benfica ( actually Sport Lisboa e Benfica), their home stadium (Estádio da Luz) has 66.000 seaters and is a modern football arena, rebuild for the European championship 2004, but architecturally oriented on the old Luz.

You will surely get goose gimples when the supporters cheer "Benfica, Benfica, Benfica" and when their mascot - a living eagle - glides from the stadium roof to settle at his entitled place on the club's logo.

Tickets are easy to get, you'll get them in advanced sale in front of the stadium or at APEQ-Tickets at Praca Restauradores (the latter one are slightly overpriced). At matchdays there will be huge queues in front of the stadium, if you evade the long waiting, you can buy tickets from black market sellers in front of the stadium. You can trust them, but consequentially they claim overrated prices.
Additionally the tickets are sold via the internet from the official homepage.

The stands are named after Benfica's main sponsors, the main stand is bancada PT, the fanclub "No Name Boys" supports from bancada Sagres, the "Diabolos verhelmos" from bancada Coca Cola. Both fanclub prefers the corner areas of the stands behind the goals.

Equipment: If you want to buy any supporter's equipment take a look at the various boothes in front of the stadium. They are not expensive and offer great diversity.

Directions: Take the metro Linha Azul (blue line) to the station Colégio Militar/ Luz and take the exit Colombo.

Other Contact: Estádio da Luz

Phone: 21 721 95 53

Theme: Sports Watching

Website: http://www.slbenfica.pt