Benfica ultras, the group known as No Name Boys, marked Torcida's 76th birthday during a Cup match in which Benfica defeated Gil Vicente 4-1. Messages in Croatian and a flare display marked their support, while simultaneously expressing solidarity with detained Torcida leaders.
At Estádio da Luz, in the Benfica supporters' section, banners were unfurled bearing a quote from the Bible: "They surrounded me on every side. In the name of the Lord, I destroyed them. Happy birthday." The message was framed by flares, further emphasising their point. The referenced verses are part of Psalm 118, specifically verses 10–12, which celebrate victory, salvation and unshakable trust in God amidst life's greatest hardships and hostile pressures. The Book of Psalms is found in the Old Testament, and the entire passage, in the spirit of the biblical text, reads: "The nations have encircled me: in the name of the Lord I have destroyed them. They have surrounded me on every side: in the name of the Lord I have destroyed them. They have surrounded me like bees, their sting burns like burning thorns: in the name of the Lord I have destroyed them."
It is worth noting that Torcida members were detained for glorifying Hitler and mocking the Holocaust. They were taken into custody after glorifying Adolf Hitler and mocking Holocaust victims in the cortege before the match against Ajax. Benfica fans wished to show solidarity with them through this act.
Benfica and Hajduk ultras have been twinned for 32 years. Their closeness was established during their clubs' group stage matches in the Champions League in the 1994/95 season. At the first match in Split, a few Benfica fans arrived, having travelled thousands of kilometres to cheer their club against Hajduk in the Champions League in war-torn Croatia. At Poljud, they raised a banner reading "Freedom for Croatia", which delighted Poljud.
On the return from Split, three members of No Name Boys died in a traffic accident. This tragedy, as well as the subsequent tribute by Torcida in Lisbon, was the foundation for creating one of the longest-standing and strongest fan brotherhoods in Europe. Today's message is merely a continuation of that long-standing connection.
