Artur Jorge has passed away
Paris Saint-Germain have learned of the death of their former coach Artur Jorge at the age of 78.
Artur Jorge, the man with the famous moustache, won the French league title with the Rouge et Bleu in 1994.
Before embarking on a glorious coaching career, he was a formidable goalscorer for Porto, Coimbra, Benfica and Belenenses. With Benfica, he won four league titles, three Portuguese Cups and two top scorer titles between 1969 and 1973. He also played for the Portuguese national team (16 caps, 1 goal).
Often injured at the end of his career, Artur Jorge had time to study at the Lisbon Institute of Sport. He put his theories into practice in 1980, when he became coach at Vitoria Guimarães. It was at Porto that he made his name, winning the European Cup in 1987. A technician renowned for his rigour and professionalism, he accepted an offer from Matra Racing Paris, but returned to Portugal a year later to take charge of Porto and the national team.
In 1991, Paris Saint-Germain hired this erudite French speaker with the aim of becoming champions of France for a second time. In three years, the objective was achieved: Paris won a Coupe de France (1993), dazzled Europe against Real Madrid (4-1, 18/03/1993), before becoming French champions (1994).
He left the capital on the back of this success, and a few months later underwent successful surgery for a brain tumour. He continued his career with SL Benfica, the Swiss national team, Portugal, Tenerife and Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands.
He never forgot Paris Saint-Germain, and in October 1998 returned to the club after Alain Giresse's dismissal. Five months after his arrival and following the departure of Charles Bietry, he was forced to leave the club without success.
Artur Jorge travelled extensively after this short stint in Paris: to the United Arab Emirates to coach Al Nasr and then Al Hilal in Riyadh (2000-2002), to Portugal at Coimbra where he made his name (2002-2004), to Russia at CSKA Moscow (2004), and to Africa to coach Cameroon (2004-March 2006).
In 2007, Artur Jorge returned to the Paris region to save Créteil in Ligue 2, but was unsuccessful. After a final spell at MC Alger, with a certain Valdo as his assistant, he ended his career and returned to Portugal, where he died on Thursday 22nd February 2024.
Paris Saint-Germain offers its sincere condolences to his family and friends.