Benfica announces the departure of the coach

Jorge Jesus is no longer the coach of Benfica. The Portuguese club announced, today, the departure of the coach. The parties reached a mutual agreement to terminate the relationship.

“Sport Lisbon and Benfica sadly thank Jorge Jesus for all the work that has been developed over the past year and a half and wish him all the best for the future,” the club said in a statement.

The one in charge of the team until the end of the season is Nelson Verissimo, the current coach of Benfica B.

This was the second visit of Jesus to Benfica. He arrived in August 2020 after succeeding at Flamengo and had a contract until June 2022. Prior to that, he led Benfica from 2009 to 2015.

According to the Record newspaper, the department football Benfica ordered the cancellation of today’s training and released the athletes to return home after Jesus put his position at the council’s disposal.

Later, the coach met with President Rui Costa to settle the end of the relationship between the two parties. Also participating in the meeting was Jesus’ lawyer, Luis Miguel Henrique.

Also, according to the Portuguese press, Jesus does not want to receive the value of the termination fine (6 million euros adding the value of the technical commission). In the statement, Benfica announced that it will “comply with all contractual obligations until the end of the current working relationship” or until Jorge Jesus and his technical committee take over a new team.

last Thursday (23), Benfica lost 3-0 to Porto and was eliminated in the Portuguese Cup Round of 16. The expectation was that Jorge Jesus would be sent off in that match, as Flamengo’s attacks were causing conflicts in the Portuguese team. However, the Robro-Negro made a deal with coach Paulo Sousa and eased his interest in Jesus. Whoever started conversations with Jesus was Atlético-MGCoca will no longer be a coach in 2022.