After
Lajos Baróti failed to defend retain any of the titles he won in his first season, he was replaced by the 33–year old
Sven-Göran Eriksson, who had just won the
UEFA Cup. Prior to his signing, Benfica contacted
John Bond, but he declined the offer. He arrived on 27 June and pre-season begun two days later, on Tuesday, the 29. Benfica made almost no new signings, other than the return of
Diamantino Miranda, so Eriksson sought to reduce the size of the squad which approached 40, with more than 10 players leaving the club in the transfer season. However, Porto and
Porto Football Association started a legal battle with the
Portuguese Football Federation to change the venue to Estádio das Antas. It ended up being postponed and only played in
August 1983 in Estádio das Antas, with Benfica winning it by 1–0. ==Competitions==