Neymar praises Jorge Jesus, as Portuguese boss likens himself to Pedro Álvares Cabral ahead of potential Brazil return
When veteran Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus gives an interview, there is usually no shortage of takeaway quotes suitable for circulation in the Portuguese media and beyond.
One of Portugal’s most charismatic and unique character, Jesus spoke to Globosporte in Brazil about his memories of coaching Flamengo, while suggesting he would be keen on a return to South America. Meanwhile, Brazilian superstar Neymar offered an endearing insight into his experience working with Jesus.
Now in Saudi Arabia, where he wrote his name into the Guinness Book of Records by taking Al Hilal on a record-breaking 34-match winning run last year, Jesus was in typically confident mood during the interview. Jesus’ brief spell with Flamengo in 2019 was an iconic season in the club’s history, littered with five trophies including the Brazilian title and the South American crown: Copa Libertadores.
"In Portuguese, we have the word saudade, and I miss the time I was at Flamengo,” Jesus said. “Not only the club itself, but also the city. Even though I am well-set in Riyadh, which is a fabulous city, Flamengo was a club, the team itself, the players themselves... they were the ones who welcomed me and baptized me as if I were a special coach for them.
“They believed in me a lot and cared a lot about me, even in what I did outside of Flamengo. I don't know if I will ever have a group like that again. I keep a place in my heart for everything there, players and fans.
“Sometimes, I pull videos up to remember 70 thousand people shouting 'Olé, olé, Mister...'. I never had that and under no circumstances will I ever have that, not even in my country. I was at Benfica, I won everything there was to win and I never had a game where the fans shouted for me. Not one!
“So, I have to miss Brazil. Football for me is a passion. that I often put before my family. One day I want to go back. Right now, I don't know, right? I don't know when. Right now, I'm doing very well here at Al Hilal, I have a president who loves me... Every day, I wake up with a huge desire to work. When I don't train, I take time off, those are the worst days.
"I just need to be the best coach in Europe, which I haven't been yet, but I have been on several continents. This is also because I chose good clubs, like Flamengo in Latin America, and we won almost everything. Here in Saudi Arabia, it's the same thing, and every day I wake up healthy and very motivated to work with my players and win more and more titles.”
“I changed Brazilian football”
Although Jesus was not the first Portuguese to manage in Brazil, there can be little doubt his success with Flamengo opened doors for other Luso bosses to be given opportunities. Among the most fruitful have been Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras) and more recently Artur Jorge (Botafogo) who have both been crowned league and South American champions.
"My time here forced Brazilian football and the coach himself to look at the game differently,” Jesus says with a typical disinterest in modesty. “When we arrived, football was very positional, with little pressure. Today, that's not the case, they really know what it's like to apply high pressure.
“This was one of the components of the game that changed Brazilian football, because the quality of player is still there, the talent is still there, but in football today talent alone doesn't win games. Talent combined with quality work is what wins titles and games.
“Today, the big teams in Brazil are going for this change, as in Europe. And yes, I feel that we left a legacy so that other Portuguese coaches, such as Abel Ferreira and Artur Jorge, could continue this idea of the game.
“This led to three Portuguese coaches winning in the space of five years. I feel like the Pedro Álvares Cabral of Portuguese football in Brazil, where I was legitimised. The Portuguese coach is the best coach in the world. I'm not saying that they are all the same. Three or four Portuguese coaches are the best in the world.
"I have an idea of a team and a game that always involves the collective, regardless of having individuals like at Al Hilal and also at Flamengo. After our arrival, Hilal has won everything it had to win in the country, similar to what happened at Flamengo. We have already won four titles and have only two defeats. At Flamengo, we had five titles and four defeats.
“I compare it a bit with Flamengo. Al Hilal is a club that in Saudi Arabia is like Flamengo in terms of fans, trophies, size for the country and abroad. Right now, Hilal is the best team in the Middle East, there is no doubt, but to confirm that we have to stamp the Asian Champions League."
Artur Jorge’s Botafogo no comparison – Jesus
“Botafogo of Artur Jorge or Flamengo of Jorge Jesus? There's no discussion about this, there's no comparison. It's not because I was Flamengo's coach, but when they speak about this they’re comparing Flamengo from my time, which won everything there was to win and Botafogo didn't.
“Botafogo won the Libertadores and the Brasileirão. In my time, we won the State Championship, the Brasileirão, the Libertadores, the Super Cup, the Recopa... I don't know, everything there was to win. Botafogo have merit, I followed them a lot, I was happy that Artur Jorge achieved this feat, but there's no comparison. The quality of play that my team had and the quality of play that Botafogo had cannot be compared.”
Jorge’s legacy in Brazil is so significant that he is occasionally suggested as a potential manager of the Brazilian national team, a subject which provokes intense debate in the country given the advocation by many of a foreign coach. During an interview earlier in the week, Jesus reiterated his openness to an approach by the Brazilian federation.
“My dream is to be a world champion with a national team. There aren't many places where this is possible, maybe where I have a chance is in Portugal or Brazil.”
Neymar lauds Jesus relationship
Should the topic of Jesus taking the Brazilian national team job emerge again, one major figure in the country supporting his cause could be Neymar. The superstar forward, who is with Al Hilal but has barely featured under Jesus due to injury, spoke highly of the Portuguese manager, particularly relating to his personal skills.
“The old man is complicated,” Neymar laughed. “It's difficult to talk about Jorge. I've been working with him for a year, but not full time. With my knee injury, I would come to Brazil several times and then come back. But he is a very sincere person. If you are bad he tells you, if you are good he tells you.
“As a coach, he is very good. He works the team very well, to the point of being annoying, and that's why he's a winner. I like him because he is a person who treats me super well.
“I die laughing with him. There was a time he wanted to teach me how to take penalties. I said to him: ‘Do you want to teach a priest how to say Mass?’”
By @SeanGillen9