Benfica fan reporter Beatriz Mendonça on why the love of her football team is a passion shared between friends and relatives

My team is Benfica and supporting them was my destiny. My father and my grandfather are Benfica fans so since I was a kid, I have watched their games on television with my father and sister.

Last year I went away to college but one thing didn't change: watching Benfica with my father. Every time Benfica play, we video-call and watch the match together. It’s a bit annoying as my father sees the goals go in first. But not seeing a game with him would be too strange as, ever since I can remember, we’ve always watched Benfica matches together. 

Since we usually watch the games at home, the routine for me is to sit on the couch and wear my Benfica shirt. It's the shirt I get every year as a Christmas present – and this season I got the third kit.

I have never been to a Champions League game but would love to go, even just once, with my family so we can cheer on Benfica. Last season didn't go our way but one thing you can say about Benfica fans is that we never stop believing in our club and that better times will come. And we hope that we’ll be back where we should be: top of our domestic league and doing the best we can in Europe.

We have been champions of Europe twice, before I was born. I’d love to see Benfica win a Champions League in my lifetime and to celebrate with my family and fellow Benfica fans.

Going back to my family, this year has seen another change as we lost a friend who always called my father after games to talk. It’s weird as we’re expecting the usual call after every match, but it never comes. After Benfica won against Maccabi Haifa in November to top their group, I imagined the reaction from our friend, then seeing my dad smile after they’d finished their chat.