Jorge Jesus Says He Expected to Be Fired After Beşiktaş Derby, Got a Contract Offer Instead

By Bosphorus News Sports Desk

The Beşiktaş Derby That Changed the Season

Jorge Jesus, who managed Fenerbahçe in the 2022-23 season, has given a candid account of the moment he believes the title race slipped away, in an interview with Portuguese sports daily Record.

With 12 weeks of the season remaining, Fenerbahçe were two points behind the league leaders when they hosted Beşiktaş. Jesus was serving a touchline ban and watched from the stands. The side led 1-0 at half-time and were awarded a penalty early in the second half, only for Enner Valencia to miss. "From that moment," Jesus said, "the team fell apart."

The Dressing Room Confrontation

After the final whistle, Jesus went down to the dressing room and found president Ali Koç already there, shouting at the players. He intervened directly.

"I stopped him. I told him he might be the owner of the club, but I was the owner of the dressing room, and he needed to stop shouting and leave."

Summoned to the Office

Koç's response was to ask Jesus to come to his office at 11 the following morning. Jesus expected to be sacked.

"I went the next morning thinking I would be fired, and he offered me a contract renewal. I didn't accept and continued until the end of the season."

Jesus's Assessment of His Fenerbahçe Tenure

The Portuguese coach, now at Saudi club Al Nassr, closed with a pointed assessment of his record at the club: "I won him the only trophy of his seven-year presidency, the Turkish Cup, and took the team to the Europa League quarter-finals."

Fenerbahçe finished the 2022-23 season as runners-up. Ali Koç left the presidency in 2024.