2009–10 S.L. Benfica season

The 2009–10 European football season was the 106th season of Sport Lisboa e Benfica's existence and the club's 76th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. The season ran from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010; Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga. The club also participated in the UEFA Europa League after qualifying from the competition's play-off round, which they had to play as a result of finishing third in the previous season.

On 16 June 2009, Jesus replaced Quique Sánchez Flores at the helm of Benfica. Jesus implemented a 4–1–3–2 formation, in which a winger, Ramires, provided cover and assistance to the defensive midfielder, Javi García, and other winger, Ángel Di María, conducted the counterattacks. Pablo Aimar, as an attacking midfielder, distributed play and Javier Saviola created space between lines for Óscar Cardozo, Aimar and Di María.

This fast-paced, attractive football proved to be successful and in his first year Jesus led Benfica to the first division title after a five-year wait (only two league defeats, 78 goals scored), also reaching the quarter-finals in the Europa League, losing to Liverpool on a 3–5 aggregate score (this would be the last match Benfica would lose in a run that lasted 27 games).

Benfica won their 32nd Primeira Liga and their second League Cup. They saw the definite breakthroughs of Ángel Di María, David Luiz and Fábio Coentrão, while Óscar Cardozo had his best season yet, scoring 26 league goals. The team's only disappointments of the season were a 4–1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in the Europa League quarter-finals second leg, where Fernando Torres hit two second-half goals to knock Benfica out of Europe, and an early exit at the Taça de Portugal.

Player statistics
! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Goalkeepers

! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Defenders

! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Midfielders

! colspan="15" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center;"| Strikers


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Winter
Spend : €32.4M

Winter

 * Transfer income: €6.83M

Spending

 * Summer: €25,300,000
 * Winter: €7,100,000
 * Total: €32,400,000

Income

 * Summer: ▲ €6,730,000
 * Winter: ▲ €100,000
 * Total: ▲ €6,830,000

Expenditure

 * Summer: €18,570,000
 * Winter: €7,000,000
 * Total: €25,570,000