(Reuters) – Coach Jorge Jesus leaves Brazilian champion Flamengo to return to his home Portugal for a moment at Benfica’s helm.
The Rio de Janeiro club showed on Friday that Jesus, 65, leaves and Benfica tweeted later: “Welcome JJ”.
The Brazilian and Portuguese media had announced that he would sign for the Lisbon club on a three-year contract worth 3 million euros according to the season.
Jesus will update Bruno Lage, who resigned last month after winning one of the five games since the resumption of football in Portugal after the breakup of the new coronavirus pandemic.
“Our greatest thanks for passing on to him and his staff the scenes for everything they’ve done and we hope they continue to enjoy the same great fortune they’ve had with us,” Flamenpass said in a statement.
This will be the stage of Jesus at Benfica, which he controlled for six years between 2009 and 2015, winning 3 Portuguese league titles.
He arrived in Rio in June 2019 and had a successful season in the city, leading Flamengo to the Brazilian Primera División title, copa Libertadores and the Rio de Janeiro State Championship, which he won on Wednesday.
With his strong Portuguese accessory and easily recognizable fluid gray hair, Jesus is a cult figure in Brazil, where worship lovers gave him Mister’s affectionate nickname.
It brought Flamengo to its peak, a successful destination since Zico and Junior were at the club in the early 1980s, leading them at one point to an impressive 29-game unbeatic streak.
Benfica’s fortune will be expanding.
The capital club is currently in the rival of the Portuguese league Porto, who has already won the League with two matches to go.
Reporting through Andrew Downie; Edited via Ken Ferris
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