Jorge Jesus facts for kids
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Jesus in 2020
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 July 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Amadora, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.75 m | ||
| Playing position | Right midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Al Hilal (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1969–1971 | Estrela da Amadora | ||
| 1971–1973 | Sporting CP | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1973–1976 | Sporting CP | 12 | (1) |
| 1973–1974 | → Peniche (loan) | ||
| 1974–1975 | → Olhanense (loan) | 29 | (5) |
| 1976–1977 | Belenenses | 13 | (0) |
| 1977–1978 | Riopele | 28 | (3) |
| 1978–1979 | Juventude de Évora | ||
| 1979–1980 | União Leiria | 22 | (1) |
| 1980–1983 | Vitória Setúbal | 38 | (4) |
| 1983–1984 | Farense | 24 | (0) |
| 1984–1987 | Estrela da Amadora | ||
| 1987–1988 | Atlético | ||
| 1988–1989 | Benfica Castelo Branco | ||
| 1989–1990 | Almancilense | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1990–1993 | Amora | ||
| 1993–1996 | Felgueiras | ||
| 1997–1998 | Felgueiras | ||
| 1998 | União Madeira | ||
| 1998–2000 | Estrela da Amadora | ||
| 2000–2002 | Vitória Setúbal | ||
| 2002–2003 | Estrela da Amadora | ||
| 2003–2004 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 2005 | Moreirense | ||
| 2005–2006 | União Leiria | ||
| 2006–2008 | Belenenses | ||
| 2008–2009 | Braga | ||
| 2009–2015 | Benfica | ||
| 2015–2018 | Sporting CP | ||
| 2018–2019 | Al Hilal | ||
| 2019–2020 | Flamengo | ||
| 2020–2021 | Benfica | ||
| 2022–2023 | Fenerbahçe | ||
| 2023– | Al Hilal | ||
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Jorge Fernando Pinheiro de Jesus is a famous Portuguese football manager and former player. He was born on July 24, 1954. Currently, he manages the Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
Jorge Jesus started his football journey as a player with Sporting CP. Over 17 years, he played for 12 different clubs, including nine seasons in Portugal's top league, the Primeira Liga.
He began his coaching career in 1990. He became well-known for leading Benfica from 2009 to 2015. During this time, he won a club record of ten trophies and reached two UEFA Europa League finals. In 2019, he managed Flamengo in Brazil, where he quickly won the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian league title. He is considered one of the world's best club coaches, ranking among the top ten in 2013 and 2019.
Playing Career: From Player to Coach
Jorge Jesus was born in Amadora, Portugal. His father, Virgolino António de Jesus, also played for Sporting CP. Jorge Jesus trained at Sporting CP and made his top-level debut with Olhanense while on loan from Sporting.
He played for Sporting's main team in the 1975–76 season. After leaving Sporting, he spent seven of the next eight years playing in Portugal's top league. He played for teams like Belenenses, Vitória de Setúbal, and Farense. In total, he played 166 games and scored 14 goals in the top division.
Jorge Jesus retired as a player in 1990 when he was 36 years old. Before retiring, he also played in the second and third divisions, mainly for his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora.
Managerial Career: Leading Teams to Victory
Early Coaching Days
Jorge Jesus started his coaching journey with a smaller club called Amora. In 1993, he moved to Felgueiras. He helped Felgueiras get promoted to the top league in his second season.
He then managed Estrela da Amadora, guiding them to two eighth-place finishes in the first division. He also helped Vitória de Setúbal and Estrela da Amadora get promoted to the top league. In 2003–04, he helped Vitória de Guimarães avoid relegation.
Over the next four years, he managed Moreirense, União de Leiria, and Belenenses. With Belenenses, he finished fifth in the league and qualified for the UEFA Cup. His team also reached the 2007 Portuguese Cup final, but lost to Sporting.
On May 20, 2008, Jorge Jesus took over as manager of Braga. He led Braga to fifth place in the league and the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup. He also won the last edition of the UEFA Intertoto Cup, a first for a Portuguese club.
Benfica: A Golden Era
On June 17, 2009, Jorge Jesus became the manager of Benfica. In his first year, he led Benfica to their first league title in five years. They lost only two league games and scored 78 goals. They also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League. He introduced a new playing style that made Benfica's football very exciting to watch.
On October 5, 2009, he achieved his 100th victory in the Portuguese League. Benfica also won the domestic League Cup that season. Because of his success, he signed a new contract until 2013.
European Challenges and Domestic Wins
In the 2010–11 season, Benfica achieved a club record of 18 consecutive wins across all competitions. They won the League Cup again.
In the 2011–12 season, Jesus guided Benfica to second place in the league. They won their fourth League Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
By December 2012, Jorge Jesus became the most successful Portuguese coach in the Lisbon derby against Sporting, with seven wins. In March 2013, he reached 200 games as Benfica's coach, becoming the sixth coach in the club's history to do so.
During the 2012–13 season, he led Benfica to their first European final in 23 years, the Europa League final. However, they lost to Chelsea. Domestically, Benfica finished second in the league and lost the Portuguese Cup final to Guimarães. This meant the club ended the season without a trophy.
Winning Many Trophies
On June 4, 2013, Jorge Jesus signed a new contract for two more seasons. In February 2014, he won his tenth game against Sporting. In March, he broke a record for not letting opponents score at home for 918 minutes.
Jesus led Benfica to their 33rd league title on April 20, 2014. He became the second Portuguese coach to win two national championships for the club. Four days later, Benfica beat Porto to reach the Portuguese Cup final. On April 28, 2014, Benfica reached another final, the domestic League Cup, by beating Porto on penalties. They won this trophy on May 7 against Rio Ave.
On May 1, 2014, Benfica reached their second consecutive Europa League final. They lost to Sevilla on penalties. On May 18, 2014, after winning the Portuguese Cup final, Jesus became the first Portuguese coach to win the double (league and cup) for Benfica. He also became the first coach in Portugal to win the domestic treble (league, Portuguese Cup, and League Cup) in one season.
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On August 10, 2014, Jesus won his first Supertaça (Super Cup). He also became the coach with the most matches at Benfica (273) and tied with Cosme Damião for the most trophies won (8). He continued to break club records, becoming the coach with the most victories (195) on September 27, 2014.
On January 18, 2015, Jesus reached 300 games with Benfica. On May 17, 2015, he led the club to its second consecutive league title. This was the first time Benfica won back-to-back league titles since 1984. On May 29, 2015, he won his fifth Taça da Liga, making him the Benfica coach with the most titles (10). On June 4, 2015, Benfica announced that Jesus would not renew his contract.
Sporting CP: A New Challenge
On June 5, 2015, Jorge Jesus signed a three-year contract with Benfica's rivals, Sporting CP. He started on July 1 and earned €5 million per year. His first game with Sporting was against Benfica in the 2015 Supertaça, which Sporting won 1–0.
Despite a good start, Sporting did not qualify for the UEFA Champions League and did not win any other trophies that season. They finished second in the Primeira Liga with a club record of 86 points, just two points behind Benfica.
In May 2016, Jesus renewed his contract with Sporting until 2019, earning €6 million a year. However, the 2016–17 season ended without any trophies.
In the next season, on May 15, 2018, Jorge Jesus and some players were attacked by about 50 Sporting supporters at the club's training ground. This happened after the team finished third in the league and missed out on Champions League qualification. Five days later, Sporting lost the Portuguese Cup final to Aves. This made Jesus the first manager to lose in the final with three different clubs.
Al Hilal: First Time Abroad
On June 5, 2018, Jorge Jesus left Portugal for the first time in his career to manage Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. In his first game on August 17, he won the Saudi Super Cup with a 2–1 victory over Al-Ittihad. He had a great record of sixteen wins and only one loss in twenty matches. However, he was sacked on January 26, 2019, due to contract disagreements.
Flamengo: Brazilian Success
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On June 1, 2019, Jorge Jesus became the manager of Brazilian club Flamengo for one year. Some fans and commentators were unsure about him because of his age and whether he could adapt to Brazilian football. Jesus responded by saying he came to work with his own methods and hoped for more open minds.
In his first league game, he led Flamengo to a big 6–1 win against Goiás.
Jesus' Flamengo team won the 2019 Copa Libertadores, a major South American club competition. They beat Argentina's River Plate 2–1 in the final on November 23. He was the first foreign manager to win an international trophy with a Brazilian team. He was also the second European coach to win the Copa Libertadores. Within 24 hours of this win, Flamengo also won the Brazilian national championship. He was the first non-South American manager to win the Brazilian championship since 1959.
On December 30, 2019, the President of Portugal awarded Jorge Jesus the Order of Prince Henry commander medal. The President said that Jesus' achievements helped Portugal's reputation around the world.
On July 17, 2020, Jorge Jesus left Flamengo. He had won five trophies with the club, winning 43 out of 57 games.
Return to Benfica: A Difficult Period
Jesus returned to Benfica on August 3, 2020, signing a two-year contract. Despite a huge investment in new players, the season started with Benfica being eliminated from the Champions League qualifying round. They also lost the Super Cup and were eliminated from the League Cup. They finished fourth in the league's first round. With his fourth loss in the Portuguese Cup final, Jesus equaled a record for most final losses.
After a tough start to the 2021–22 season, Jorge Jesus left Benfica by mutual agreement on December 28, 2021. He was replaced by Nélson Veríssimo.
Fenerbahçe: Turkish Cup Winner
On June 2, 2022, Jesus was appointed as the manager of Fenerbahçe in Turkey for one year.
Jesus won the 2022–23 Turkish Cup on June 11, 2023, by defeating İstanbul Başakşehir 2–0 in the final. This was Fenerbahçe's first trophy in nine years. After the match, Jesus announced he would leave the club.
Return to Al Hilal: Record-Breaking Success
On July 1, 2023, Al Hilal announced that Jorge Jesus would return as their manager for the 2023–24 season.
On February 26, 2024, Al Hilal won a record 14th consecutive Saudi Pro League match. On April 5, Al Hilal set a new world record for consecutive wins by a top-flight professional football club across all competitions, with 32 victories. They broke the previous record of 31 wins set in 1948. Al Hilal's winning streak ended at 34 consecutive wins. On May 24, Guinness World Records officials presented Jesus with a certificate for this amazing record.
In his first full season back with Al Hilal, Jesus led the team to three trophies: the 2023 Saudi Super Cup, the 2023-24 King Cup, and the 2023–24 Saudi Pro League. They scored over 100 goals and finished with a record 96 points in the league.
On August 17, 2024, Jesus won the 2024 Saudi Super Cup again. On October 22, Al Hilal defeated the current Asian champions Al Ain. This was Jesus' 81st victory with Al Hilal, making him the most successful coach in the club's history in fewer than 100 matches.
Personal Life
Jorge Jesus is married to Ivone, his second wife, and they have a son named Mauro. From his first marriage, he has a daughter, Tânia, and a son, Gonçalo.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Amora | 1 July 1990 | 4 February 1993 | 103 | 41 | 34 | 28 | 132 | 92 | +40 | 39.81 |
| Felgueiras | 14 December 1993 | 12 May 1996 | 97 | 38 | 28 | 31 | 119 | 106 | +13 | 39.18 |
| Felgueiras | 18 February 1997 | 12 January 1998 | 34 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 50.00 |
| União Madeira | 10 February 1998 | 23 March 1998 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 13 | −8 | 16.67 |
| Estrela da Amadora | 6 June 1998 | 15 May 2000 | 75 | 23 | 30 | 22 | 83 | 84 | −1 | 30.67 |
| Vitória Setúbal | 3 October 2000 | 21 January 2002 | 51 | 23 | 10 | 18 | 84 | 64 | +20 | 45.10 |
| Estrela da Amadora | 30 January 2002 | 5 March 2003 | 41 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 51 | 41 | +10 | 51.22 |
| Vitória Guimarães | 8 December 2003 | 10 May 2004 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 31.82 |
| Moreirense | 4 April 2005 | 22 May 2005 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 28.57 |
| União Leiria | 26 September 2005 | 11 May 2006 | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 43.33 |
| Belenenses | 12 May 2006 | 19 May 2008 | 70 | 31 | 16 | 23 | 87 | 74 | +13 | 44.29 |
| Braga | 20 May 2008 | 16 June 2009 | 48 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 68 | 30 | +38 | 50.00 |
| Benfica | 16 June 2009 | 4 June 2015 | 321 | 225 | 51 | 45 | 674 | 249 | +425 | 70.09 |
| Sporting CP | 5 June 2015 | 5 June 2018 | 158 | 99 | 26 | 33 | 302 | 146 | +156 | 62.66 |
| Al Hilal | 5 June 2018 | 30 January 2019 | 25 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 65 | 21 | +44 | 80.00 |
| Flamengo | 1 June 2019 | 17 July 2020 | 57 | 43 | 10 | 4 | 129 | 47 | +82 | 75.44 |
| Benfica | 3 August 2020 | 28 December 2021 | 83 | 52 | 17 | 14 | 182 | 80 | +102 | 62.65 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2 June 2022 | 12 June 2023 | 56 | 38 | 10 | 8 | 126 | 58 | +68 | 67.86 |
| Al Hilal | 1 July 2023 | Present | 86 | 72 | 10 | 4 | 242 | 70 | +172 | 83.72 |
| Career totals | 1,370 | 790 | 290 | 290 | 2,460 | 1,271 | +1189 | 57.66 | ||
Honours: Trophies and Awards
Managerial Trophies
Braga
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
- Taça da Liga: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2014
Sporting CP
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2015
- Taça da Liga: 2017–18
Al Hilal
- Saudi Pro League: 2023–24
- King Cup: 2023–24
- Saudi Super Cup: 2018, 2023, 2024
Flamengo
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2019
- Copa Libertadores: 2019
- Supercopa do Brasil: 2020
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2020
- Campeonato Carioca: 2020
Fenerbahçe
- Turkish Cup: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- Primeira Liga Best Coach: 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Primeira Liga Manager of the Month: September/October 2020, March 2021, September 2021
- Saudi Pro League Manager of the Month: September 2018, October 2023, November 2023, December 2023, February 2024, March 2024, May 2024, September 2024
- Cosme Damião Awards – Coach of the Year: 2014
- Globos de Ouro Best Portuguese Manager: 2015, 2016
- Bola de Prata Best Coach: 2019
- Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão Best Coach: 2019
- Globe Soccer Awards "Best Middle East Coach": 2024
Orders
Knight Commander of the Order of Prince Henry (December 30, 2019)
Images for kids
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Jesus in 2020
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Jesus coaching Benfica in 2011
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Director of football António Carraça (left) and Jesus (right) at a match in October 2012
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Jesus during a Champions League match in 2014
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Jesus in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Jesus para niños
