Manuel Gourlade

Manuel Gourlade
Personal information
Date of birth	25 October 1872
Place of birth	Lisbon, Portugal
Date of death	1 January 1944 (aged 71)
Place of death	Campolide, Lisbon
Managerial career
Years	Team
1906–1908	Sport Lisboa

Manuel Gourlade (25 October 1872 – 1 January 1944) was the first manager of S.L. Benfica and one of driving forces that led to the creation of Sport Lisboa that 4 years later would be known as Sport Lisboa e Benfica.^[1]

Gourlade was born in Lisbon, came from a family with money, studied at Colégio Nobre de Carvalho and worked as an employee at Fármacia Franco (a community pharmacy) where a meeting took place for the signing of Sport Lisboa foundation act. He was chosen to do treasury management in the Administrative Board.^[2]

He helped funding the club with his own money: the ball bought from Lisbon Cricket Club for 150$ Reais, the translation from English to Portuguese, of the Laws of the game for 2500$ Reais, plus ordered from London, a whistle and another 3 balls.^[3] He managed the club for 2 seasons, with a total of 16 games resulting in 8 wins and 8 losses. Later, Cosme Damião replaced him as coach.^[4]

He remained close to the club but because all of the expenses he had made for Benfica he took a toll on his finances and died from poverty in Campolide.^[2]

References

^ Alberto Miguéns. (27 February 2018). "Todos Somos Gourlade". Em Defesa do Benfica (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 June 2018.
^ ^a ^b Almanaque do Benfica. Portugal: Lua de Papel. 2012. p. 9. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.
^ Almanaque do Benfica. Portugal: Lua de Papel. 2012. p. 13. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.
^ Almanaque do Benfica. Portugal: Lua de Papel. 2012. p. 766. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.