09/03/2021 16:00
Portuguese legend Maia claims national cup title 26 years after maiden triumph
News from the National Federations
Porto, Portugal, March 9, 2021. Sporting CP LISBOA have claimed the Portuguese national cup for the fourth time in their history after edging their eternal rivals SL Benfica 3-1 (29-27, 25-22, 16-25, 28-26) in the final. The match took place at the Pav. Desp. Santo Tirso, with international referees Vítor Gonçalves and Pedro Pinto officiating. The game was truly a show worthy of the national cup final and an excellent preview for the playoffs of the elite division that are coming up soon. Portuguese Volleyball legend Miguel Maia triumphed again at the age of 49, some 26 years after securing his maiden title in 1995. Together with João Brenha, Maia finished in fourth place at the Beach Volleyball competition of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta as well as four years later in Sydney.
Opposites Theo Lopes (SL Benfica), with 26 points, and Paulo Victor Silva (Sporting CP), with 18, were the best scorers of the match.
SL Benfica coach Marcel Matz: “It was a very balanced and well-played match, exciting for those who were watching. Congratulations to Sporting on winning the trophy, as they knew how to make the right choices at the decisive moments. We had a chance to win the first set, but we could not, while they took advantage of the moment to seal the victory in the fourth set. Now we have to improve for the playoffs of the national league. This defeat has no impact, because we have been working well. We need to consolidate the advantage of playing at home because we were in second place at the end of the regular season, but, and no one has any doubts, these are matches that will be very close.”
The players and staff of Sporting CP LISBOA celebrate their triumph at the Portuguese National Cup finals
Gerson Amorim, Sporting CP coach: “It is a great joy to be able to contribute to securing this trophy, which is so important for the club. The matches with Benfica are always tough and close. If there is a 3-0, it is because something is wrong. We had a very tough match in the Super Cup, but we ended up losing to Benfica in the semi-finals, so the meaning of this victory is that it is possible to win and achieve our goals. Tomorrow everything is over, there is no cup, and we have to prepare for the playoffs, which are a different story.”
Portuguese Volleyball legend Miguel Maia played against his 18-year-old son Guilherme
Miguel Maia (49 years old), Sporting CP captain: “Our purpose is to reach all the finals. In a project that is three years old, we have already been national champions and we have now won the Portuguese Cup. I was fortunate to be in the club's last cup victory [Sporting was away from Volleyball for many years], back in 1994/95, and now I helped lift the trophy again. Personally, everything went well for me: I played against my 18-year-old son Guilherme for the first time, who is playing at AA Espinho, where I also started my career, and now I contributed to an important achievement for a big club, which deserves everything. I feel prepared to continue to help the club achieve its goals.”
Hugo Gaspar, SL Benfica captain: “It was a match that small details decided, in the final and decisive points, which ended for one team but these could well have ended the other way. Like AJF Bastardo and us, Sporting invested a lot in the team. These are teams of great value, so one day they win, other days we win.”
In 2020 there was no Portuguese Cup winner due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2019, the SL Benfica men’s senior team claimed the title for the 18th time after securing a 3-1 (26-28, 25-16, 25-22, 25-20) victory over AJ Fonte do Bastardo in the final played at the Multiusos de Sines sports hall. With 18 titles, Benfica are the most successful team in the history of the competition; they won it for the first time in 1966 and have triumphed as many as six times in the last 11 finals. SC Espinho follows next with 12 titles, including the inaugural edition in 1965 and has the record for the most titles in a row (six) between 1996 and 2001. Other winners are Castelo da Maia GC and FC Porto (6 times), Leixões SC (5), Sporting CP (4) and AJF Bastardo, Vitória SC, Esmoriz GC, ISEF and IS Technical with one title apiece.
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