Soccer-Benfica season the result of 'five years of hard work'

By Brian Homewood TURIN, May 13 (Reuters) - Benfica's extraordinary season is the result of five years' hard work, coach Jorge Jesus said on Tuesday on the eve of the Europa League final against Sevilla. Jesus, previously something of a journeyman who worked his way around less glamorous Portuguese clubs, has helped rebuild Benfica since taking over in 2009. We always work towards getting to these big finals and it's very satisfying.\" Benfica were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea in last year's final, their seventh successive defeat in European finals. There is no favourite.\" Jesus shrugged off references to the so-called curse of Bela Guttmann, the late Hungarian coach who led Benfica to their European Cup wins in 1961 and 1962 and said on leaving that the club would not win another continental final without him.



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