Jonas recalls Jorge Jesus leaving Benfica: We wanted to prove… | OneFootball

Seven years after ending his career, Jonas has started a new chapter away from the pitch. The former Brazilian striker, who played for Benfica for five seasons, now lives in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, where he works in the agricultural sector, with investments in sugar cane and peanut production.

At 42, Jonas gave an interview to Sábado magazine, in which he recalled some of the most memorable moments of his time at the Luz. Known to the fans as "Pistolas," the former goalscorer scored 137 goals in 183 games for Benfica and won nine titles, including four national championships. Among the memories he brought up, Jonas highlighted Jorge Jesus’s move to Sporting in the summer of 2015, a change that intensified the rivalry between the two clubs.

"With Jorge Jesus we had a wonderful year, but then he went to our biggest rival and that’s when the war started. Everyone defended their own side, of course. Then there was that episode when I pushed him in the Super Cup match, but we spoke by message and everything was resolved. It was a delicate and turbulent moment. At Benfica, we all wanted to prove that the club would keep winning even without Jorge Jesus, and we did," he recalled.

Jonas’s remarks come at a time when Jorge Jesus is once again at the center of Portuguese football news. According to the newspaper A Bola, the coach is Pedro Proença’s main candidate to succeed Roberto Martínez in charge of the national team. The same publication adds that the president of the Portuguese Football Federation is expected to meet with Jorge Jesus after the national team returns to Lisbon, with the aim of discussing the succession.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.