The club also participated in the UEFA Europa League after qualifying from the competition's play-off round, which they had to play as a result of finishing third in the previous season.

On 16 June 2009, Jesus replaced Quique Sánchez Flores at the helm of Benfica.

[4][5] This fast-paced, attractive football[6] proved to be successful and in his first year Jesus led Benfica to the first division title after a five-year wait (only two league defeats, 78 goals scored), also reaching the quarter-finals in the Europa League, losing to Liverpool on a 3–5 aggregate score (this would be the last match Benfica would lose in a run that lasted 27 games).

They saw the definite breakthroughs of Ángel Di María, David Luiz and Fábio Coentrão, while Óscar Cardozo had his best season yet, scoring 26 league goals.

The team's only disappointments of the season were a 4–1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in the Europa League quarter-finals second leg, where Fernando Torres hit two second-half goals to knock Benfica out of Europe, and an early exit at the Taça de Portugal.