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Jorge Maciel: Lyon's experienced assistant
He's a globetrotter fluent in French, Spanish, and English, as well as a few words of Arabic. After taking on the role of head coach at Valenciennes FC for the first time in his career last season, Jorge Maciel is now in charge of OL following Paulo Fonseca's suspension. He had already taken over as interim coach on January 30th in the Europa League (1-1 vs. Ludogorets), following the dismissal of Pierre Sage, at a club he joined last June without knowing he would be reunited with the Portuguese coach, whom he had known at LOSC Lille. By signing for OL, he decided to return to a role he knows inside and out: that of assistant coach. With a wealth of experience across the globe, from Tripoli to Lisbon, via Nantes and Lille, the 39-year-old Portuguese coach brings all his knowledge to the Rhône staff. "The greatest asset of my career is the diversity of contexts, cultures and coaches I've been able to work with," says the native of Barcelos, in northern Portugal, who has never hesitated to cross borders to chart his career.
A trip to Libya at 25
It all started at the age of 17 for the man who admits to never having played at an interesting level but for whom football has always been his passion. Resigned to the idea of reaching a good level without the ball at his feet, or rather gloves on his hands as a goalkeeper, he decided to join the University of Porto, with the idea of staying in sport and becoming a physical education teacher. But football remained in the back of his mind and he did not miss the opportunity to reconnect with his lifelong love in his second year of studies. "I had to choose a specialty and I focused on high-level sport and more specifically on football. I then met Vítor Frade, a teacher and member of the FC Porto academy," explains Jorge Maciel, before adding: "It was from then on that I started to really want to become someone in the coaching field."
From then on, while learning coaching methodologies, he began coaching young players in his city, gradually progressing to the point of joining FC Porto through its Dragon Force project (the club's football school for children aged 4 to 14) and thanks to the help of his teacher, Vítor Frade. His goal of joining a professional club was then getting closer, but he remained patient. His first opportunity with a Portuguese professional club presented itself in the summer of 2010, but it didn't materialize. This didn't discourage him. "I spoke with my parents and told them I preferred to wait for another project instead of going back to coaching young players," he confides. But the wait was short-lived. "I waited until November and left, at the age of 25, for a special adventure in Libya," recalls Maciel "It was very emotional for me because it was the first time I had left my country to work."
He then spent three months in Libya, at Al-Ittihad club, alongside Brazilian Baltemar Brito, a former assistant to José Mourinho at Porto, Chelsea, and Inter, before being forced to leave the country due to the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi during the Arab Spring. Undaunted by this first adventure away from home, he then headed to the United Arab Emirates with Brito, then to Iran with José Alberto Costa, before returning to Tripoli for a new adventure lasting a few months. But after these four years, rich in lessons and significant human experiences, he felt it was time to return to his country. "In Iran, the Emirates and Libya, it was the discovery of the world of football, I had to return to Portugal to position myself on the continuation that I wanted to give to my career," he explains.
FC Nantes: A first taste of France
"Back home, after learning to think differently and realizing that the world is much bigger than his home" Jorge Maciel settled down at Belenenses, alongside Lito Vidigal, for a successful experience. He first contributed to the small Arouca club's last-gasp survival, then to European qualification, before also helping them discover the Europa League. But after just over two seasons, his relationship with Lito Vidigal ended due to the latter's decision to join Maccabi Tel Aviv. Determined to pursue his career in a major European league, Jorge Maciel was approached by another of his compatriots: Miguel Cardoso. The two began their collaboration together on the Rio Ave bench in 2017 before joining FC Nantes the following season. The assistant manager had a short experience (four months) on the banks of the Erdre, but it allowed him to adapt to France and will be a foundation for the rest of his career. "It didn't go well from a sporting point of view, but it allowed me to have a better understanding of French football when I arrived at LOSC," he admits. Before this stopover in the North of France, he gained more experience, this time in Spain, at Celta de Vigo, once again with Cardoso, a coach from whom he learned a lot, and at Benfica, his favorite club, as head coach of the under-23s and the Youth League team. He notably managed Gonçalo Ramos there before returning to France at the end of 2019, with, thanks to all his adventures, an unparalleled adaptability: "My background now allows me to integrate easily with players from different cultures and then help them blend into a team."
Breakthrough at LOSC
In November 2019, he came to LOSC for an "exceptional opportunity." "There were changes in Christophe Galtier's staff because his assistants were leaving for Tottenham to work with José Mourinho. Luis Campos, with whom I was in contact through a friend, called me to present the project and see if I was interested. I said yes without thinking about what would happen next, and three days later, he called me back and said: 'It's now!'" Jorge Maciel then began his longest experience with the same club, although his family initially wanted him to stay in Lisbon. In the North, over four seasons, the assistant coach notably won a league title with Christophe Galtier and then worked alongside two other coaches: Jocelyn Gourvennec and Paulo Fonseca. These three very different personalities were all a source of inspiration for the man who speaks French, English, and Portuguese equally well, because "they share the same values: work culture, respect, and ambition."
Olympique Lyonnais is now benefiting from the full experience of the man who has already worked with eight coaches since the beginning of his career. Although his time at Valenciennes FC as number one wasn't a resounding success, his experience and his knowledge of the assistant coach position speak for themselves. "The head coach has to think about a lot of things. My role is to create and manage match preparation and training sessions, and organize work weeks to ensure performance," he explained on the OL website. Returning to head coaching is not one of his career goals, but he is now preparing to assume the role of "second number one" for several weeks. Paulo Fonseca has been suspended until November 30. Jorge Maciel will be assisted by Paulo Ferreira, also an assistant to the Portuguese coach. "It's a bit like an interim (...) but it's still a team effort with a full coaching staff. We'll be there to give the players energy. It doesn't matter who is there." And this interim is off to a good start with the victory against OGC Nice a week ago Sunday and a win over Le Havre that followed.
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