Lisbon: Benfica coach Jorge Jesus is set to join arch city rivals Sporting Lisbon, according to Portuguese media reports.
Sources claim Benfica president Luis Felipe Vieira has refused to extend Jorge Jesus’s contract because the latter would not accept a pay cut.
Jorge Jesus has been in the post since 2009 and won the treble of league, cup and League Cup last season before retaining the league and League Cup this time around.
But now he is due to make the controversial switch across Lisbon to Sporting, who won the cup last weekend, their first trophy since 2008.
“An agreement was reached Wednesday evening during a meeting between Jorge Jesus and Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho,” TV channel SIC Noticias reported.
Jorge Jesus, 60, would replace Marco Silva at Sporting and is set to earn an annual salary of €4 million (Dh16 million).
Heavily in debt Benfica are expected to poach Rui Vitoria from Vitoria Guimaraes.
