Jorge Jesus facts for kids
.jpg)
Jesus in 2020
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jorge Fernando Pinheiro de Jesus | ||
| Date of birth | 24 July 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Amadora, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Al Nassr | ||
| 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 | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 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 | ||
| 2023–2025 | Al Hilal | ||
| 2025– | Al-Nassr | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jorge Fernando Pinheiro de Jesus is a famous Portuguese football manager and former player. He was born on July 24, 1954. He is currently the head coach of the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
Jesus started his football journey as a player with Sporting CP. Over 17 years, he played for 12 different clubs. This included nine seasons in Portugal's top league, the Primeira Liga.
In 1990, Jesus began his coaching career. He first managed a top-tier team, Felgueiras, in the 1995–96 season. He then worked with many teams. In 2009, he joined Benfica. There, he won ten trophies, which was a club record for a single manager. He also led them to two UEFA Europa League finals.
In 2019, he became the manager of Flamengo in Brazil. In his first year, he won the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian league title. He returned to Benfica in 2020. He was named one of the world's top ten club coaches twice by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. This happened in 2013 and 2019.
Playing Career Highlights
Jorge Jesus was born in Amadora, Portugal. His father, Virgolino António de Jesus, also played for Sporting CP. Jorge Jesus learned to play football at Sporting CP. He first played in the top league for Olhanense while on loan from Sporting.
He played for Sporting's main team in the 1975–76 season. He appeared in 12 matches. After leaving Sporting, he played in Portugal's top league for seven more years. He played for teams like Belenenses and Vitória de Setúbal. In total, he played 166 games and scored 14 goals in the top league.
Jesus stopped playing football in 1990 when he was 36 years old. He had also played in the second and third divisions of Portuguese football.
Managerial Journey
Early Coaching Years
Jorge Jesus started his coaching career with a smaller club called Amora. In 1993, he moved to Felgueiras. He helped them get promoted to the top league in his second season. He managed Felgueiras until 1998.
After that, he led Estrela da Amadora to good finishes in the first division. He also managed Vitória de Setúbal and Estrela da Amadora again. He helped both teams get promoted to the top league. In 2003–04, he helped Vitória de Guimarães avoid being relegated.
In the next four years, he managed Moreirense, União de Leiria, and Belenenses. With Belenenses, he finished fifth in the league in 2006–07. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup. He also led them to the 2007 Portuguese Cup final, where they lost to Sporting.
On May 20, 2008, Jesus became the manager of Braga. He led Braga to fifth place in the league. They also reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup. Braga won the last UEFA Intertoto Cup, which was a first for a Portuguese club.
Success with Benfica
On June 17, 2009, Jorge Jesus became the manager of Benfica. In his first year, 2009–10, he led Benfica to win the first division title. This was 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.
On October 5, 2009, Jesus got his 100th win in the Portuguese League. Benfica also won the domestic League Cup that season. Because of his success, he signed a new contract until 2013.
In the 2010–11 season, Benfica set a record of 16 consecutive wins. They won the League Cup again. In the 2011–12 season, Jesus led Benfica to second place in the league. They won their fourth League Cup. They also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
On December 10, 2012, Jesus became the most successful Portuguese coach in the Lisbon derby. He had seven wins against Sporting. On March 15, 2013, he reached 200 games as Benfica's coach. He was the sixth coach in the club's history to do so.
In the 2012–13 season, he led Benfica to their first European final in 23 years. They reached the Europa League final but lost to Chelsea. In Portugal, Benfica finished second in the league. They also reached the Portuguese Cup final but lost. This meant the club did not win any trophies that season.
Winning Many Trophies
On June 4, 2013, Jesus signed a new contract for two more seasons. On February 11, 2014, he won his tenth game against Sporting. On March 20, he set a new 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 3–1 to reach the Portuguese Cup final. On April 28, 2014, Jesus led Benfica to another final, the domestic League Cup. They won this trophy on May 7 against Rio Ave. This was his fourth League Cup win.
On May 1, 2014, Jesus helped Benfica reach their second straight Europa League final. They lost to Sevilla on penalties. On May 18, 2014, Benfica won the Portuguese Cup final. This made Jesus 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, cup, and league cup) in one season.
.jpg)
On August 10, 2014, Jesus won his first Supertaça. He became the coach with the most matches at Benfica (273). He also tied with Cosme Damião for the most trophies won (8). He was the first coach to win all four domestic trophies in one year. He continued to break club records. On September 27, 2014, he became the coach with the most victories (195).
On May 17, 2015, Jesus led Benfica to their second league title in a row. This was the first time Benfica won back-to-back league titles since 1984. On May 29, 2015, he won his fifth League Cup. He became the Benfica coach with the most titles (10). His contract with Benfica ended on June 30, 2015.
Time with Sporting CP
On June 5, 2015, Jesus signed a three-year contract with Benfica's rivals, Sporting CP. His first game as Sporting coach was against Benfica in the 2015 Supertaça, which Sporting won 1–0. However, Sporting did not qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They finished second in the league, two points behind Benfica.
In May 2016, Jesus renewed his contract with Sporting. The 2016–17 season did not bring any trophies. In May 2018, Jesus and some players were injured after an incident at the club's training ground. Five days later, Sporting lost the Portuguese Cup final.
Adventures in Saudi Arabia and Brazil
On June 5, 2018, Jesus left Portugal for the first time. He became the manager of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. In his first game, he won the Saudi Super Cup. He had a great record of sixteen wins and only one loss in twenty matches. However, he left the club in January 2019 due to contract disagreements.
.jpg)
On June 1, 2019, Jesus was appointed manager of Brazilian club Flamengo. Some fans and former players were unsure about him at first. They thought he was too old and might not fit Brazilian football. But Jesus said he was there to work with his own methods.
In his first league game, Flamengo won 6–1. Jesus' Flamengo won the 2019 Copa Libertadores on November 23. They beat Argentina's River Plate 2–1 in the final. He was the first foreign manager to win an international trophy with a Brazilian team. Within 24 hours, Flamengo also won the national championship. He was the first non-South American manager to win the Brazilian championship in its modern format.
On December 30, 2019, the President of Portugal awarded Jesus a special medal, the Order of Prince Henry. This was to honor his achievements. On July 17, 2020, Jesus left Flamengo. He had won five trophies with the club.
Return to Benfica and Fenerbahçe
Jesus returned to Benfica on August 3, 2020. He signed a two-year contract. Despite a large investment in new players, the season started with some difficulties. Benfica was eliminated from the Champions League and the League Cup. They also lost the Super Cup and finished fourth in the league's first round. Jesus left Benfica by mutual agreement on December 28, 2021.
On June 2, 2022, Jesus became the manager of Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He signed a one-year deal. Jesus won the 2022–23 Turkish Cup with Fenerbahçe. They beat İstanbul Başakşehir 2–0 in the final on June 11, 2023. This was Fenerbahçe's first trophy in nine years. After the match, Jesus announced he would leave the club.
Second Time with Al Hilal
On July 1, 2023, Al Hilal announced that Jesus would return as their manager. On February 26, 2024, Al Hilal won their 14th straight Saudi Pro League match. This set a new league record. On April 5, Al Hilal set a new world record for consecutive wins by a top-flight football club. They won 32 matches in a row, breaking a record from 1948. Their winning streak ended at 34 games.
On May 24, 2024, Guinness World Records gave Jesus a certificate for this record. In his first full season back, Jesus led Al Hilal to three trophies. They won the 2023 Saudi Super Cup, the 2023–24 King Cup, and the 2023–24 Saudi Pro League. They 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 beat Al Ain 5–4. This was Jesus' 81st victory with Al Hilal. He became the most successful coach in the club's history in fewer than 100 matches. Jesus left Al Hilal on May 3, 2025.
Current Role at Al Nassr
On July 14, 2025, Jorge Jesus became the head coach of another Saudi club, Al Nassr. He signed a one-year contract.
Personal Life
Jorge Jesus is married to Ivone, his second wife. They have a son named Mauro. From his first marriage, he has a daughter, Tânia, and a son, Gonçalo.
Managerial Statistics Summary
Jorge Jesus has managed many teams throughout his career.
| Career totals | 1,383 | 794 | 294 | 295 | 2,485 | 1,292 | +1193 | 57.41 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Honours and Achievements
As a Manager
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
Orders
Knight Commander of the Order of Prince Henry (December 30, 2019)
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Jesus para niños
