Familiar face at Benfica tipped as Sérgio Conceição's successor | OneFootball

Jens Wissing is very close to taking charge of Al Ittihad. The coach, who previously had a spell at Benfica, is preparing to sign a contract valid until 2028 with the Saudi club, succeeding in the role that, during part of last season, was held by Sérgio Conceição.

The German coach is leaving Gamba Osaka, a club where he achieved one of the biggest feats of his still short career by winning the AFC Champions League Two, beating Jorge Jesus’s Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix and company in the final. In charge of the Japanese side, he recorded 10 wins in 27 matches, a performance that sparked Al Ittihad’s interest, with the team having failed to qualify for continental competitions. The information was reported by the German magazine Kicker.

At the Saudi club, Wissing will coach, among others, the Portuguese players Roger Fernandes and Danilo Pereira. At 38, the manager is preparing for his second experience in Asian football, after having been part of Benfica’s coaching staff between 2022 and 2024, working alongside Roger Schmidt.

During that period at the Luz, Roger Schmidt managed Benfica with the assistance of Jens Wissing in 115 official matches, posting a record of 80 wins, 20 draws and 15 defeats. Under the German coach’s leadership, the club won the national championship in 2022/23 and lifted the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira the following season.

At Al Ittihad, Jens Wissing will have the mission of outperforming Al Nassr, of Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix, in the race for the Saudi league title. This is the second former Benfica man to arrive and take charge of a team in the Arab country this week, as Bruno Lage was announced by Al Diriyah.

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