Jorge Jesus has confirmed he is leaving Al Nassr after winning the Saudi championship, ending a brief spell in Riyadh with a title and an open next move. The Portuguese coach said a return to Benfica is out of the question and that he will now take a short break before deciding what comes next.
Jesus told Sport TV that he will not continue in Saudi Arabia and that Turkey remains a possibility for the next stage of his career. He said he will go to Portugal for a few days of vacation and then may spend a few days in Brazil to see friends, with his future still undecided.
The timing matters because Jesus is departing immediately after delivering the one championship Al Nassr wanted from him, while the coach himself had only asked for a one-year contract when he took the job. He said the title campaign in Saudi Arabia was very difficult, but that he had gone there with a clear promise to Cristiano Ronaldo.
“vou-te ajudar a ser campeão e depois vou à minha vida,” Jesus said he told Ronaldo when the move was first discussed, adding that Ronaldo and Semedo had invited him to take the challenge. He said no European club has the capacity to pay him, leaving the door open to options outside the continent as he weighs what to do after the holidays.
Jesus’s departure also closes one chapter in a coaching career he says already includes championships in Portugal, Brazil, Fenerbahçe and with Al Hilal. He said he has not yet been champion at Fenerbahçe, however, and suggested there may still be a story to finish there. “Está fora de questão,” he said when asked about Benfica, making clear that a return to the Lisbon club is not part of his immediate plans.
There was also a sharp note of pride in the way Jesus spoke about his place in the game. Asked about being replaced by Guardiola, he said he was not proud of that and added, “Ele é que tem de ter orgulho por me substituir a mim, não eu por ele.”
For now, the end of the Al Nassr spell looks straightforward: title won, contract cycle complete, and the coach heading first to Portugal, then perhaps Brazil, before deciding whether Turkey or another challenge becomes his next stop.
