Ex-Benfica, Sevilla full-back admits: “Jorge Jesus shocked me” | OneFootball

Lionel Carole, former Benfica left-back, recalled some of the most memorable moments of his career and spoke about his spell at the Luz, where he had Jorge Jesus as his coach. Now 35, the current Caen player looked back on that period in statements to the French Football Federation’s media outlets.

In January 2011, just six months after making his professional debut for Nantes, Carole moved to Benfica, then coached by Jorge Jesus. The Frenchman remembers the transfer as an important opportunity to keep developing. “They came for me very early. Jorge Jesus sold me a very attractive project, at a prestigious club with a magnificent group. It was the logical continuation of my progress; I wanted to improve,” he explained.

The Portuguese coach, however, left a special mark on the player, who also had a spell at Sevilla: “That coach shocked me with his demands and his attention to top-level detail: with him, nothing was left to chance,” Carole admitted, recalling the intensity of the work carried out at Benfica.

The left-sided player also had the chance to share a dressing room with some of the main figures in the Benfica squad. .

Even so, two players deserved special mention: Nuno Gomes and Pablo Aimar. Speaking about the Portuguese forward, Carole highlighted his commitment even at an advanced stage of his career, considering that “even at the end of his career, he still gave more than the others on the pitch.” As for Aimar, he was especially impressed by his technical quality and intelligence. “Class personified, with a football IQ far above average.”

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