The first coach on Rotaru's list in Craiova after the landing of Rădoi » He trained Portugal U21 in the last 15 years!

Olten are determined to quickly orient themselves and appoint a new coach in the coming days, bearing in mind that there is a two-week competitive break due to national team matches.

The new coach would be Portuguese, and the first name on the list is that of Rui Jorge (52 years old), last time on the Portugal U21 bench, according to GSP sources.

Rui Jorge, the first name on Rotaru's list in Craiova, after the departure of Mirel Rădoi

Rui Jorge has coached the Portugal U21 national team for the past 15 years (2010-2025). Olteni delegated Mario Felgueiras to find a Portuguese coach, and he has already come up with a first option.

Rui Jorge, the first name on Rotaru's list in Craiova, after the departure of Mirel Rădoi // PHOTO: Imago Images

Rui Jorge is a first technician proposal. He coached only two teams throughout his career: Belenenses (2006-2010) and Portugal U21.

On June 21, he was released from his contract after the failure in the quarter-finals of the U21 European Championship, 0-1 with the Netherlands. He was on the Lusitanian bench for five European Championship tournaments, during which he played in two finals.

“I'll talk about it later, it's not the ideal time. I'm extremely sad that some of these players' careers have come to an end. Some of them, unfortunately, and because it is so, will no longer wear the jersey of the national team.

We felt great together, they tried to bring honor to the country. Despite the result, I feel proud to have been part of this journey”, said Jorge, on June 21.

Adherent to attacking play and faithful to the 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 systems, Rui Jorge leaves behind an impressive tenure with the Portugal U21 national team. With 127 matches on the bench, of which 90 won, 19 drawn and 18 lost, the coach brought the team a total of 325 goals scored and only 105 conceded.

Under his command, several generations of players have been formed and made the step up to the first team, and Portugal U21 has become one of the most consistent teams in Europe at youth level.

– dnoticias.ptabout Rui Jorge

Who is Rui Jorge, the coach on Craiova's list

Rui Jorge // photo: Imago Images

Rui Jorge ended his tenure with the Portugal U21 national team with a 71% win rate and an almost 86% unbeaten record.

His “principal” career began at Belenenses, where he managed the junior teams between 2006 and 2010, and in the 2008-2009 season he temporarily took over the senior team, failing to avoid relegation.

As a player, Rui Jorge spent his entire career in Portugal. He won five titles, two Cups and three Super Cups with FC Porto between 1991 and 1998, after making his senior debut for Rio Ave in the 1991-92 season.

At Sporting, Rui Jorge won two titles, a Portuguese Cup and two Super Cups. He left the club in 2005, a year after the UEFA Cup final lost in Lisbon to CSKA Moscow, score 1-3.

The last team in his playing career was Belenenses, for which he played half a season in 2006. He retired at the age of 33, with almost 490 games and 12 goals in his record.

Radoi is history in Craiova

Mirel Rădoi left Craiova

At this morning's meeting, held between the team owner and the technician, the parties decided to end the collaboration, this time Rotaru accepting the resignation of Radoi, who had threatened to leave in the past.

The official announcement was made during the press conference.

Mirel Rădoi signed with Craiova on January 29, 2025. He has 44 games, of which 23 wins and an average of 1.77 points/game.

I hope that by tomorrow evening we will have the name of the new coach. We want as much as possible to be up there, I think in this group, in this club, to perform. We went with the option that the new coach be a foreigner.

Mirel told me that he regrets it, but that he is emotionally exhausted. He said that rather than harming the team he better leave, that what is happening is not right. It was pressure from every point of view, even last night when we lost nobody can accuse the players of not wanting to.

It is very difficult for me as a president to change coaches.

– Mihai Rotaruthe financier of the University of Craiova

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