Flamengo’s Portuguese boss Jorge Jesus has been in Brazilian football for less than two months, but the veteran manager has already endured a multitude of ups and down in his new job.
Jesus has already taken part in three competitions and played a local derby, but the 64-year-old arrived at the Maracanã Stadium vastly experienced in working with South American players. The former Braga, Benfica and Sporting coach emphasised the impressive attitude of his current Brazilian players, while complying with a request to name his South American XI from those he has worked with.
Ahead of this weekend’s clash with Rio de Janeiro rivals Vasco da Gama, Jesus repeated a common theme during his press conferences and praised the professionalism of his squad. Jesus previously stated that his side is “the most professional group I have worked with” and now, during an interview with the Copa Libertadores website, the Lisbon-native again emphasised his findings.
“Brazil has been a surprise,” he said. “We in Europe have the idea - not so much me, because I've worked with almost 700 Brazilian players - that the Brazilian player doesn't like to work. That the Brazilian player is not a good professional. I have come to find in Flamengo all to the contrary. It’s a very united team, very professional players.
"Since I arrived there has not been one player be late. No one has been fined. The fine money is used for them to have dinner, throw a party for one who is having a hard time. In Portugal and Europe we do it like this a lot. And so I said, 'well, it will be me who pays for the next dinner’ because there are no fines. Nobody has been fined, there is no box. Flamengo is a team that has surprised me a lot.”
The best XI
With ten years of Jesus’ lengthy managerial career spent coaching Sporting Braga, Benfica and Sporting, the experienced boss has worked with some of the brightest talent from the South American continent. The website asked Jesus to name his best eleven from Latin Americans he has coached, and unsurprisingly Benfica’s contingent dominated the line-up.
"As right-back I had Uruguay's Maxi (Pereira). I choose three central defenders: Luisão, David Luiz and Garay. Left-back is more difficult, maybe a Portuguese was my best in that position, but I had Guilherme Siqueira. Then the deepest midfielder would not be South American, but for me it's the best holder in the world: it's Matic. [For this team] maybe Enzo Perez, the Argentine.
“Then, as the next midfielder, it would have to be Pablo Aimar. Rodrigo, who is in the national team of Spain, Saviola, Di Maria and Ramires. The goalkeeper, perhaps Julio César, who I caught at the end of his career,” concluded Jesus, with not a single Sporting player discussed.
By Sean Gillen
