"Fernando Chalana, our + Pequeno Genial + ("little genius", in Portuguese), died on Wednesday August 10," said the Lisbon club.
"It is a very sad day for the Benfiquista nation and for all football lovers. Our +Genius+ is gone, one of the greatest and eternal symbols of the club. I will ensure that the memory of Fernando Chalana is always present in all Benfiquistas", reacted the president of Benfica, Rui Costa, in statements to BenficaTV.
Chalana had joined the Lisbon club at the age of 15, in 1974, and had become on March 7, 1976, at 17 years and 25 days, the youngest player in history to play in Portuguese D1, according to Benfica.
"There are football players and geniuses, Chalana was a genius," said Portuguese Culture Minister Pedro Adao e Silva, while the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa saluted the memory of the one "who contributed to the international prestige of Portuguese football".
Chalana's talent had come to light during Euro-84 with the Seleçao, which he had carried to the semi-finals - a match lost at the end of the suspense against France (3-2 ap) in Marseilles.
Chalana had subsequently joined Bordeaux, then at the top of French football, but his three seasons with the Girondins were marked by repeated injuries, until his return to Benfica in 1987.
The Portuguese international with the famous mustache ended his career with two short stints at Belenenses (1990-1991) and Amadora (1991-1992).
He then retrained as a coach in his favorite club, mainly as an assistant or coach in the youth categories.
"He was one of the best players in Portuguese football", underlined Fernando Santos, the coach of the Portuguese Football Federation who announced the respect of a minute of silence during each meeting, in tribute to Chalana, until 'until next Monday.
© 2022 AFP