Jonathan WIlson: Benfica seem cursed again in Europa League final loss to Sevilla

[Jonathan Wilson]

"I am not superstitious," Jorge Jesus, the Benfica coach had said before the final. Maybe he should have been. 52 years and eight finals after Benfica Bela Guttmann cursed the club after his firing, it has still not won another European title. However much Jesus may try to tell it there is no rational reason for the string of defeats, it's hard not to believe that Benfica's players feel Guttmann's ghost on their shoulders. For the second season in a row, it dominated the Europa League final, missed its chances, and was undone by an opponent that had, for the most part, barely clung on.

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