Rui Jorge slams Pedro Proença: 'It was dishonest and showed a lack of human decency'

Rui Jorge's departure from the Portugal Under-21 national team continues to leave deep scars. In an interview with news agency Lusa, the current Azerbaijan Under-20 head coach broke his silence regarding the end of his nearly 15-year tenure with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), aiming fierce criticism at the governing body's leadership and its president, Pedro Proença.

"I don't even know if they thanked me in a press release. What I do know is that I should have left differently, with a different level of respect. I believe the way they handled it was not only dishonest, but also cheap. Cheap on a human level, cheap on a professional level. That is something that leaves me deeply hurt," the coach stated.

Having spent a decade and a half working across Portugal's youth ranks — and boasting a distinguished past as a senior international player — Rui Jorge accepts that a changing of the guard and the appointment of Luís Freire were "completely natural". However, he pulls no punches when condemning the treatment he received from the hierarchy of Portuguese football.

"It was many years dedicated to our national team, and to me, it's unacceptable that when you leave, the president doesn't have a single word for you. Aside from the lack of transparency, it's simply unacceptable. That is not the conduct of a decent person, and it obviously left me saddened," he vented, adding that it was "an ugly chapter that does not bring honour to the FPF."

The split was so painful that the manager admits he now avoids watching Portugal Under-21 matches, as the plans he had drawn up for the country's rising talents are still fresh in his mind.

"When I see Mateus Fernandes, Quenda, Mora, Forbes... There were so many players already at that stage, and I had mapped out the next qualifying campaign and the upcoming European Championship in a specific way with them. So, I prefer not to watch," he explained.

Despite his grievances with the FPF board, Rui Jorge stressed he holds no grudges against Portuguese football or his successor, revealing he made a point of calling Luís Freire upon his appointment: "I called him to wish him the best of luck and hope he is as happy with the Under-21s as I was. If he can go on to win the trophy that I tried so hard to win and couldn't, I will ask him to let me be there at the final and just touch that trophy for a moment."