Artur Jorge

Artur Jorge Braga de Melo Teixeira was born in Porto on 13 February 1946 and died on 22 February 2024. A centre-forward with a fine touch and, later, an unmistakable moustache, he played for Académica de Coimbra, Benfica, Belenenses, FC Porto and Rochester Lancers in the United States, was capped by Portugal, and retired in 1978 after a leg injury. He was a graduate in Germanic philology and had a reputation as one of the most cerebral men in the Portuguese game.

After coaching Vitória de Guimarães, Portimonense and Belenenses, he took charge of FC Porto and built the greatest side in their history, winning the championships of 1984/85 and 1985/86 and, above all, the European Cup in Vienna in May 1987, beating Bayern Munich 2-1. He returned to Porto for a further title in 1989/90 and won the French championship with Paris Saint-Germain in 1993/94.

Benfica appointed him in July 1994, taking over the reigning champions from Toni, and it did not work. He was in charge for 48 matches, winning 27, and won nothing; Porto took the 1994/95 title and, after a poor start to the following season, he was dismissed in September 1995, his last match a 1-1 draw with Vitória de Guimarães on the 9th of that month. His preference for a controlled, patient game and a strong defensive base sat awkwardly with a crowd that wanted the title back at once.

He later coached Tenerife, Vitesse, CSKA Moscow, Créteil and Al-Nasr and took charge of the Portugal, Switzerland and Cameroon national teams, leading Switzerland at Euro 1996. He is remembered above all as the man who made Porto champions of Europe.