After retiring from playing at age 33, Rui Jorge became a manager, starting with a short stint at Belenenses. He was appointed coach of the Portugal under-21 team in 2010.
Club career
Rui Jorge was born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto District. Having emerged through local FC Porto, he made his professional debut with Rio Ave F.C. in the Segunda Liga, returning to his first club in 1992 after one season. Never an undisputed starter with the former (only appearing in more than 20 games twice over a six-year spell) he did help the northern side to five Primeira Liga championships and three domestic cups.
In July 1998, Rui Jorge signed with Sporting CP, where he would remain for the following seven years, being first choice during most of his stint and adding two more leagues to his trophy cabinet, with the double being conquered in 2002.[2] In the 2005–06 campaign he played with another Lisbon team, C.F. Os Belenenses, subsequently retiring from the game – aged 33, with more than 400 official appearances – and joining his final club's youth coaching staff.[3]
Rui Jorge's participation at Euro 2004 on home soil was jeopardised when he tested positive in February that year for Budesonide, commercially known as Pulmicort. He said that the substance came from a medically recommended spray for his rhinitis.[7] His suspension was lifted in May, with the fault placed on Sporting for not notifying authorities of his medical exemption;[8] at the tournament, he was one of four players – three from defence – dropped by Luiz Felipe Scolari after the opening 2–1 loss to Greece,[9] and did not return for the remainder of the competition, which Portugal lost in the final to the same team.
Coaching career
In May 2009, Rui Jorge was appointed Belenenses' head coach for the final two matches of the season, taking over from Jaime Pacheco after a 0–5 home loss against S.C. Braga,[10] with the team eventually ranking second from bottom (being later reinstated). At the end of the campaign, he returned to the youth ranks.[11]
In November 2020, having already qualified for the 2021 European Championship, Rui Jorge celebrated a decade in the job; at that point he was the most experienced under-21 manager in Europe, and had served longer than all but four senior managers in the world.[19] At the finals in Hungary and Slovenia the following June, his team finished as runners-up.[20]