ESPN Brasil journalist Mauro Cezar Pereira claims Tottenham Hotspur should have appointed Jorge Jesus as their new manager instead of Jose Mourinho, AS report.
Spurs dismissed the popular Mauricio Pochettino earlier this season.
Daniel Levy would have had a long list of potential top successors, but he opted for former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to take over.
Mourinho is a three-time Premier League winner with Chelsea, while also achieving unprecedented trebles at former clubs Porto and Inter Milan.
But Mauro Cezar Pereira feels he is now inferior to Jorge Jesus.
“If Jorge Jesus had an opportunity with a top European club, he would achieve great things. He is excellent, far better than any other manager at top Portuguese clubs, he explained.
“Today, who is better, Jorge Jesus or Mourinho? Who would you want at our club? Without doubt, I prefer Jorge Jesus. Mourinho has had great success. But, he is only at Tottenham now because of his name. Just his name, that is all. Against Manchester United at home he just defended, trying to snatch a 1-0.”
Who is Jorge Jesus and should Spurs have considered him?
Jorge Jesus is 65 and has plenty of experience, but for the majority of his career he has managed in his native Portugal and for lesser clubs.
It wasn’t until 2009 where he finally got his break at Benfica. He spent six years there, posting three league titles, six domestic cups and finishing runners-up in the Europa League.
He later spent three years at Sporting, managing just a single cup win.
Mourinho undoubtedly boasts a better record. However, some argue his style of football isn’t entertaining, while his success has waded in recent years.
Spurs have collected 31 points from 19 Premier League games since Mourinho’s arrival, scoring 32 goals. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly great either.
Jorge Jesus is currently in charge of Flamengo in Brazil where they completed a league and cup double last term while adding the prestigious Copa Libertadores title. Moreover, his side play with a swagger, scoring 86 league goals in 2019.
Pochettino oversaw five years of entertaining football at Spurs but fell short on the trophy front. Ultimately, Jorge Jesus’s record in Europe suggests he could have been more of the same.
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