2000–01 S.L. Benfica season
Date from Position Player To club Date to
31 May 2000 DM Marco Freitas Alverca 30 June 2001
20 June 2001 LB Jorge Ribeiro Santa Clara 30 June 2001
1 July 2000 CB José Soares Desportivo Aves 30 June 2001
15 July 2000 DM Luís Andrade Braga 30 June 2001
19 July 2000 GK Nuno Santos Badajoz 1 December 2000
10 December 2000 GK Nuno Santos Santa Clara 30 June 2001
30 January 2001 DM Triantafyllos Machairidis Kalamata 30 June 2001
9 February 2001 FB Ricardo Rojas River Plate 30 December 2001
Transfers -- Out by loan
The 2000-01 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 97th season in existence, and the club's 67th consecutive season in the Primeira Liga. It ran from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal. The club also participated in the UEFA Cup, by virtue of finishing third in that tournament the previous season. The season is the worst in Benfica history since the start of the Primeira Liga during 1934-35. The club switched managers two times. Jupp Heynckes was replaced by José Mourinho in September. Toni, who previously guided the club to a league title, took the reins in December. In the transfer market, young players like Marchena and Fernando Meira were brought in, and mixed with the experience of 31 year-old, Pierre van Hooijdonk, who arrived to replace Nuno Gomes, were meant to improve the team competitiveness. However, the biggest event of the pre-season was the release of João Pinto, the longest-serving player on the club, and the incumbent captain. This decision was poorly received by the fans, who criticized Heynckes and the president for the move. Both would leave the club in the following months.