Francisco Ferreira

Francisco "Xico" Ferreira (23 August 1919 – 14 February 1986) was a Portuguese footballer who played as a midfielder.

Over the course of 15 seasons, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 278 games and twenty-three goals, mainly at Benfica, winning ten major titles.

He is also notable for ill-fated reasons, after a friendly in his honor between Benfica and Torino, as the Italian team returned home, their plane crashed into the Basilica of Superga, killing all aboard and ending the Grande Torino team.

Club career Born in Guimarães, Ferreira arrived at Porto at 17, he made his debut for the northerners in the 1937 Campeonato de Portugal Final, against Sporting on 4 July 1937. In the following year, in a match against Benfica on 20 February 1938, he crashed with Rogério de Sousa and broke his foot, needing three months to recover, only reappearing in another match against Benfica, on 10 April 1938.

After a disagreement with Porto's over a wage increase, in which he was told, "O Senhor ou assina ou põe-se na rua, não queremos cá malandros a pedir dinheiro." ("Sir, you either sign or get lost, because he do not want slackers asking for money.") – he moved to Benfica, debuting on 20 November 1938 in a home win against Sporting in Estádio das Amoreiras. Ferreira was devastated, spending many sleepless nights, sending money to the relatives of the victims, and adding a picture with a black frame of the Grande Torino team to his personal trophy room.

International career Ferreira debuted for the Portugal national football team in a 2–3 loss against France on 28 January 1940. Over the course of eleven years, he added 25 caps, 12 of those, as captain.

Honours Porto Campeonato de Portugal: 1936–37

Benfica Primeira Divisão: 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1949–50 Taça de Portugal: 1939–40, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52 Campeonato de Lisboa: 1939–40