António Jesus

António de Jesus Pereira (11 February 1955 – 27 September 2010), known as Jesus, was a Portuguese football goalkeeper and manager.

António Jesus
Personal information
Full name António de Jesus Pereira
Date of birth 11 February 1955
Place of birth Espinho, Portugal
Date of death 27 September 2010(2010-09-27) (aged 55)
Place of death Espinho, Portugal
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1970–1971 Espinho
1971–1973 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1974 Chaves
1974–1976 Lusitânia
1976–1978 Beira-Mar 14 (0)
1978–1981 Varzim 76 (0)
1981–1988 Vitória Guimarães 139 (0)
1988–1989 Leixões 36 (0)
1989–1990 Chaves 27 (0)
1990–1993 Vitória Guimarães 71 (0)
1993–1994 Chaves 20 (0)
Total 383 (0)
International career
1987 Portugal 7 (0)
Managerial career
1989 Leixões
1993–1994 Fafe
1994 Chaves
1994–1995 Marítimo
1995–1996 Paços Ferreira
1996–2000 Covilhã
2000 Operário
2000–2001 Chaves
2001–2002 Machico
2002–2003 Espinho
2003–2004 Estarreja
2005–2006 Lusitânia
2006–2008 Benfica Castelo Branco
2008–2010 Tondela
2010 Espinho
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Espinho, Jesus finished his youth career at FC Porto, but never appeared for the team as a senior. After a couple of seasons with S.C. Beira-Mar (his first in the Primeira Liga) he signed for Varzim SC, then Vitória de Guimarães after three more years in the top flight.

With the Minho side, Jesus acted as backup in his first seasons, but was the undisputed starter in his last three, helping Vitória finish third – all 30 matches played and only 22 goals conceded, a competition-best – and reach the quarter-finals in the UEFA Cup in 1986–87,[1] also appearing in the following year's Portuguese Cup final, lost 0–1 to former club Porto. He left in 1988, playing one top division campaign apiece with Leixões S.C. and G.D. Chaves, being relegated with the former but finishing fifth with the latter.

The 35-year-old Jesus returned to Vitória in the summer of 1990, playing all 38 league games in his debut campaign but subsequently being second-choice. He retired in 1994 at the age of 39 after one year with former side Chaves in the second level, having made 363 appearances in Portugal's top tier during 16 seasons.

Already as an active player, Jesus started a managing career, acting as player-coach with Leixões (three matches) and Chaves (eleven). His subsequent career was almost exclusively spent in divisions two and three, but he led C.S. Marítimo to the seventh position in the top flight in 1994–95; additionally, he spent the 2004–05 season as Guimarães' goalkeeper coach.

International career

After practically all of the Portugal national team defected following the infamous Saltillo Affair at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Jesus was chosen by manager Juca as his starter for the UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying campaign. He made his debut on 4 February 1987 at the age of 32, in a 1–0 friendly home win over Belgium.

Death

On 27 September 2010, around 20:00, Jesus was returning home from training with local S.C. Espinho in the third division. Suddenly, he fell to the ground after suffering a heart attack, being rushed to the hospital but dying shortly after at the age of 55.[1]

References
  1. Morreu António Jesus, antigo guarda-redes do Vitória (vídeos) (António Jesus, former Vitória goalkeeper, dead (videos)); Guimarães TV, 27 September 2010 (in Portuguese)
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