Duarte Borges Coutinho

Duarte António Borges Coutinho, 4th Marquess of Praia and of Monforte (18 November 1921 – 19 May 1981), commonly known simply as Borges Coutinho, was the 26th president of Portuguese sports club S.L. Benfica.

Borges Coutinho
4th Marquess of Praia and of Monforte
Born
Duarte António Borges Coutinho

(1921-11-18)18 November 1921
Lisbon, Portugal
Died19 May 1981(1981-05-19) (aged 59)
NationalityPortuguese
Known forPresidency of S.L. Benfica
Spouse
Ana Maria Borges Coutinho
(m. 1950)
[1]
Children5[2]
Parent(s)António Borges Coutinho de Medeiros Sousa Dias da Câmara[1]
Maria Ana Davidson Perestrelo de Vasconcelos[1]

Born in Lisbon and educated both in England and Portugal, Borges Coutinho became a member of Benfica in 1959, aged 37. Ten years later, he became president of the club after defeating candidates Fernando Martins and Romão Martins in the elections of 12 April 1969, with 58 percent of the votes. During his eight-year presidency (four consecutive biennal terms), the football team won seven Primeira Liga titles (personal record)[3][4] – one of them without defeat, in the 1972–73 campaign – and three Taça de Portugal trophies. This allowed Benfica to consolidate their hegemony in Portuguese football.

Under Borges Coutinho's term, in 1969, Benfica took possession of lands near their stadium, Estádio da Luz, to create three football pitches, one synthetic athletics track, and eight tennis courts. He was awarded with the Águia de Ouro (Golden Eagle) by the club in 1973. After deciding not to contest the elections of 26 May 1977, he was succeeded by José Ferreira Queimado.[5]

Borges Coutinho died at the age of 59 in Greater London, England.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "D. Duarte António Borges Coutinho, 4th marquess of Praia and of Monforte". Geneall (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Borges Coutinho". Vitórias & Património. Season 1. Episode 15 (in Portuguese). 25 January 2011. Event occurs at 00:37. Benfica TV. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ^ Pereira, Luís Miguel (November 2009). Bíblia do Benfica [Benfica Bible] (in Portuguese) (7th ed.). Portugal: Prime Books. p. 149. ISBN 978-989-655-005-9.
  4. ^ "Benfica Campeão - Presidente do tetra aproxima-se do trono de Borges Coutinho" [President of the tetra comes near Borges Coutinho's throne]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 13 May 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Presidentes: os nomes que marcam a história" [Presidents: the names that mark the history]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 15 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
Preceded by
Adolfo Vieira de Brito
President of Benfica
1969–1977
Succeeded by