So it begins….the end of Jorge Jesus’ reign at Benfica. The past few days have been a whirlwind, with the news breaking yesterday that Jesus would join Sporting. The rumors have persisted for a few weeks, but many including myself, dismissed them as nothing but rumored headlines to sell papers. Many of us believed he might leave at the end of the season, to perhaps go abroad and try that out as a one last hurrah. We all could have welcomed that and even supported it. To see a coach we all cared about go and do something beyond Benfica.
Then….it hit us. He would be staying in the Liga, but not with Benfica but to join Sporting. A club that finally won its first trophy in seven years. A club that hasn’t had a stable manager in God knows how long. There were and are rumors that it is because Jorge Jesus is a Sportinguista at heart, that his dad’s wish before passing away, was to manage Sporting. Whatever the reason, it came from left field for most of us. The manager we’ve learned to love and to appreciate would be leaving. It’s hard to see this happen, not because he is bigger than the club, no way possible but because he gave us so many wonderful memories, but also he felt a part of this club. For the fans, it’s a hard pill to swallow, mostly because he was so passionate for the fans. We saw that at Guimaraes, when the whistle blew and the game ended he pushed the players to head to the fans. When the team was celebrating at the Marques, he was shown taking photos and videos of the crowd below. I wonder how he can look at those images in the future, and not feel the guilt at leaving.
Whatever his reason for leaving, whether it is personal or economical, I won’t hold a grudge. I’m disappointed, I’m hurt, and I’m a little angry. Those feelings however, they will pass. In a few days, when Benfica announces the new manager, I’ll have moved on. I thank Jorge Jesus for his time at Benfica. He’s the only Benfica manager I’ve had the pleasure so far of seeing. He made it enjoyable for me, the past six seasons. I came to love what he stood for. I thank him for the trophies, for always trying to not let us fans down. I won’t wish ill on him, although I certainly won’t wish success if he does go to Sporting. So I just thank him for his time and I move on. Like LFV said, everyone is replaceable even if they don’t believe it.
I don’t know who will be the next manager, as several names have been floating around. Rui Vitoria, Marco Silva, Sergio Conceicao, and Vitor Pereira are all names I have seen. Whether or not any of them will be chosen is something we as fans will find out. Whoever it is, I welcome them. I look forward to the change. Maybe this is what we fans need, a new start. A new spin on the team. A new look. Maybe we will see the youth players more and more, a wish we all had under Jorge Jesus. Maybe we won’t buy so many players only to send them on loan under our new manager. Whatever happens, I’m confident in the success of the team. The players love this team and the fans love this team. Together, that’s what’s important.
So much more could be said on this topic but to be honest, keeping it short is probably the best option. There’s still so many questions to be asked, some of which may be answered upcoming days and weeks. In a time like this, it is nice to see my fellow fans rally around and band together. No fighting, no arguing, just simply reassuring each other. I hope we do the same with the new manager and welcome him with open arms. At the end of the day, Jorge Jesus is not bigger than Benfica. Benfica is bigger than him. If he believes he will be able to replicate the same success then he is deluding himself. This club made him, he did not make this club.