“Another king is leaving” Headline for Friday, February 23, in Portugal, Daily Sports In Pula, Which devotes almost its entire front page to the death of Artur Jorge, whose black-and-white photograph — in which, as an observer, he wears his coaching badge and his famous mustache — sums up the man he was: reserved, introverted, cultured, and endearing. A rare personality in the world of football, which was highlighted by all the tributes extended to her by the Portuguese press “King Arthur.”
Before becoming a legendary coach, the Porto native revealed himself as a player when he finished second in the 1967 Portuguese Championship with Académica de Coimbra, the best placing in the club's history, as he was the instigator of a protest movement. Against the dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. But with Benfica Lisbon, the striker achieved glory, winning the championship four times and being crowned top scorer twice, alongside the legend Eusebio.
At the end of his brilliant playing career, during which he was called up sixteen times to the Portuguese squad, Artur Jorge began his coaching career. While living in Portimão, in 1983 he published a collection of poetry (vertes da agua, (Unpublished in French), which earned him the image of a poet in sometimes sarcastic football situations. With FC Porto, in 1987 he won its main title, the Champions League (then called the “European Champion Clubs Cup”), before winning the French Championship at the helm of Paris Saint-Germain de Canal + years in 1994.
“social awareness”
And in its pages the newspaper In Pula Above all, he pays tribute to the man who was, as a left-wing intellectual, a jazz lover and an art collector, in short, a man “Intelligent, cultured, interested in people and the world, […] He has a social conscience that has always guided him.” :
“Art, literature, music and family were the mainstay of his life. And there was football, of course […]. But until his death, he did not let football deprive him of the other side of life.
Personal traits confirmed by his former boss at Paris Saint-Germain, Michel Deniso, on the social networking site X.
#Artorgeorge He is the greatest coach I have ever known. Cultured, erudite, passionate, strategic, uncompromising…with him @PSG_inside He grew up very quickly. He taught me a lot. rest in peace. Thoughts for his family🖤🖤
– Michel Denisot (@michel_denisot) February 22, 2024
Still in pagesIn Pula, His friend, journalist Jose Manuel Delgado, confirms that the man will eventually leave his mark far beyond football.
“Always introverted and frank, but at the same time very reserved, he revealed himself only when he gained a certain confidence. A complex character with a sometimes difficult temperament, but at the same time loyal and trustworthy, Artur Jorge left his mark on Portuguese society, breaking taboos.” “Both in union commitment or party activity, breaking barriers and opening new horizons for the future. Generations.”
