Jorginho Gomes was born in Estoril 11/7/1986
He was 18 when he joined Estoril U19’s in 2004.
On the 18th August 2005 against Vitória Setúbal he was involved in a collision with the opposition keeper, he didn't know at the time that this would be life changing but what he did know is that it hurt, A LOT.
Doctors thought the break was so bad he wouldn’t be able to walk again let alone play Football but he managed to do both.
He returned to Estoril after 2 years out. It was much tougher for him now though. After such a long time out without playing football he had lost pace and he couldn't manage to control the ball.
He knew after just one training session that his dream was over.
Just two weeks after his return he was released.
Everything he had sacrificed to be the best he could be was pointless. His education, some family and friends. He had hoped for much better.
He had no idea what to do. If he wasn’t going to be a footballer how would he get through life? How would he support his family?
The worst was yet to come.
Jorginho's mum and dad were close. He thought to himself that maybe he was their only child because they wanted time for each other and more kids means less of that. But he didn’t need a brother or sister, he was happy to have them both, never would he have fully healed from the injury if they weren't there.
Just a week after being released, Jorginho was looking for a present for his parents, to thank them for giving him hope and future options, when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. Unknown number. He answered anyway. “Hello.”
“I’m calling from Centro de Cardiologia do Estoril, am I speaking to Jorginho Gomes?”
“Yes, what is it? is everything okay?” Why would the hospital be calling, we live near there? I would always know we were nearly home once we passed that place.
“I’m afraid not, your dad Afonso is in surgery as we speak. He was involved in a crash on the road just outside involving two trucks and two cars.”
Jorginho didn’t know what to say. Just this morning they were talking about what fish they were hoping to catch at the weekend, he might not be around for that now.
No! He’s strong he will fight through. He must, what will we do without him?
Jorginho got to the hospital and found his mother Aliciana.
"What's going on?
She replied with such pain in her eyes. "He. He's gone."
"But they said he had gone into surgery."
"They couldn't save him." Aliciana was lost. Afonso was the only man she had ever looked at and now she will never get to talk to him again.
A doctor came and asked Jorginho and Aliciana to follow.
As soon as they walked in they both broke into tears. There he was. A father and husband, straight away they could see the damage the crash had caused. Both waled closer to him and told them how much they loved him and how he will never be forgotten.
"Why? Please lord what have we done?" Aliciana was screaming and who could blame her. Afonso was Jorginho's biggest supporter. After every game he told his son that he would make it in whatever he wanted.
The family of three was cut short too early!
13 years on and after many jobs which he couldn't settle in. Jorginho was a waiter for a couple of months before going down the path of his father as a fisherman.
He finally decided that football would get his life back on track, he could make his dad proud.
16th June 2017.
Jorginho has come back home. After two weeks travelling, watching games most notably the Champions League final in Cardiff he decided it’s time to go and look for his first managerial job. He told himself. “Is anyone going to want to take me on as manager. It’s not like I am a well-known footballer.”
He spoke with his mum Aliciana on the phone just a couple of days earlier in a hotel about this, he keeps repeating her words over and over.
“Come on Jorgi, your dad always wanted you to make the family proud and I am proud of you. I know you want this and I know there is a club out there looking for someone like you.”
She is right I must do this. As soon as he got back home (yes, he lives with his parents at 31) he was on the phone to his dad’s closest friend Miguel Romero a Spanish man who took on the role of being his agent when his dad passed away.
“Hello.”
Hi Miguel, it’s Jorgi, I have decided to go with it, I want to be a manager.
“Oh, that’s brilliant and about time, it will be a couple of days before we hear anything back so just be patient. Miguel had promised Afonso that he would do anything for his son.”
“Thankyou, we should meet up soon and discuss what I should be doing to get noticed.
“Yes, that would be lovely, bring your mother as well we haven’t seen each other for weeks.”
“I will see what I can do. Thanks again bye.”
It’s happening, I’m going to make people believe in me. I can do this. All I have ever wanted is to be part of a team. This is my chance.
Tuesday 11th July
Jorginho is just sitting having breakfast when an email pops up.
It has been forwarded by Miguel.
Joao Anacleto would like Jorginho Gomes to attend an interview regarding the manager role at S.U. 1 Dezembro.
The chairman will be present at the time of interview along with other board members and club staff.
Jorginho doesn’t even read the next line before calling Miguel.
“What do I do, surely I can do better than a third division Portuguese club?”
Miguel replied, “I guess you have seen it. You need to think about it now. Don’t attend the interview if you don’t have a good feeling because you will walk in and they will make it sound much better than it is.”
“Should I contact the chairman.” Jorginho is completely foreign to any of this.
“No, I’ll handle that. Don’t worry there will be another opportunity, just find something you like doing and I will let you know if anything good comes up.
"Okay Miguel, thank you."
"See you soon Jorgi."
Jorginho now had to just wait for days until Miguel let him know or a club got in touch directly.
