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Jorge Jesus

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Jorge Jesus has coached Benfica and now Sporting
Jorge Jesus has coached Benfica and now Sporting ©Getty Images

Date of birth: 24 July 1954
Nationality: Portuguese
Playing Career: Sporting Clube de Portugal, GD Peniche, SC Olhanense, CF Os Belenenses, GD Riopele, Juventude SC, UD Leiria, Vitória FC, SC Farense, CF Estrela da Amadora, Benfica e Castelo Branco, SR Almancilense
Coaching career: Amora FC, FC Felgueiras, CF Estrela da Amadora (twice), Vitória FC, Vitória SC, Moreirense FC, UD Leiria, CF Os Belenenses, SC Braga, SL Benfica, Sporting Clube de Portugal

• A midfielder at Sporting, Jesus enjoyed a long if low-key career with a number of smaller Portuguese sides before moving into coaching with fourth division Amora after hanging up his boots in 1989, leading them to a title. Then led Felgueiras from the third division to the Liga in successive seasons, though they were relegated in his third campaign in 1995/96.

• Further Liga experience came at hometown side Estrela da Amadora, Setúbal and Guimarães, though he endured another relegation with Moreirense in 2004/05. In 2006/07, he guided Belenenses to fifth place and the Portuguese Cup final, where despite losing to Sporting they earned a place in the UEFA Cup.

• Even better followed at Braga in 2008/09 as he guided them to UEFA Intertoto Cup success and subsequently the UEFA Cup round of 16. A fifth-place Liga finish prompted Benfica to lure him back to Lisbon in 2009 and Jesus rewarded their faith with the league title and League Cup in his debut campaign.

• After completing a hat-trick of Portuguese League Cup triumphs in 2012, Jesus's Benfica came tantalisingly close to an even bigger treble in 2013, only to finish runners-up in both the Portuguese Liga and Cup and lose the UEFA Europa League final to Chelsea FC.

• Signed a two-year contract extension in June 2013 and led Benfica to another UEFA Europa League final the following season, although they again lost, this time to Sevilla FC. That disappointment was somewhat soothed by a clean sweep of the three domestic trophies, with another league and League Cup secured in 2014/15, during which Jesus became the Benfica coach with the most victories and the most league matches. Unexpectedly left to join Sporting in June 2015, taking the club to the Liga's runners-up spot in his first season – behind Benfica – and third the following year.