May 5 – Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal have dismissed Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus.
In a statement, the club said: “The Board of Directors of Al-Hilal Club Company has agreed with the Portuguese head coach of the first football team Jorge Jesus to terminate the contractual relationship between them.”
The decision does not come as a surprise. Al Hilal were eliminated from the Asian Champions League by Al Ahli. With five games remaining in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Hilal are second in the table, six points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. Coach Mohammed Al-Shalhoub will take over first-team duties.
In 2023, Jesus arrived for a second time at Al Hilal and enjoyed a spectacular first season winning the league title, the King’s Cup and the Saudi Super Cup. They went on a world-record winning streak of 34 games, but Jesus and the Riyadh-based club were not able to reach those heights again this season. Jesus also fell out with star player Neymar, who departed for Santos.
The writing was on the wall. With Al Hilal’s demanding fanbase and the club’s big ambitions, Jesus was not going to last. This summer, Al Hilal will feature in the Club World Cup in the United States where they will play Real Madrid, Pachuca and Salzburg.
Jesus’s departure means he is now available for the Brazil national team role. The five-time world champions failed to land Carlo Ancelotti, the CBF’s preferred manager, leaving Palmeiras’s Abel Ferreira and Jesus as the new leading candidates.
Ferreira however is reported to be the frontrunner. He has led Palmeiras to two Brazilian league titles and two Copa Libertadores victories. During his time at Flamengo, Jesus won the national league, the Copa Libertadores, the Rio State championship, the Brazilian Super Cup and the South American Super Cup.
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