Portugal's new coach Jorge Jesus was interviewed by Canal 11, discussing his new phase as head coach of the Portuguese national team. This is the second part of the interview.

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Jorge Jesus: I won't teach players how to play, but make them understand my philosophy

You just mentioned that the midfield combination is different, and you also said that Portugal's midfield is not the best in the world. So, does this midfield have the potential to become the best in the world?

They have that potential, and there's a trend for them to become one of the top midfields in the world. You can't say a midfield is the best just because individual players have strong abilities. It must be demonstrated in matches, proven by performance. However, in this FIFA World Cup, I think Spain did very well.

Portugal has players who possess both quantity and quality in these positions. If using a three-man midfield, there would be more choices. But if using a two-man midfield, one of them needs to take on more positional and defensive responsibilities, and my team usually cannot do without such a player; the other needs stronger offensive capabilities. This narrows down the selection range, considering the number and characteristics of players.

You once said in 2014: "A national team coach is not responsible for training, only for selecting players." Has your view changed now?

No change. It's actually the same for club coaches; they also need to select players from their squad. The primary ability a national team coach must have is to pick the best players. As a coach, the first thing you need to do is select the best 11 players; the essence is the same.

The difference is that clubs have more training time and can convey more content to players. Training and teaching are different. Some coaches just organize training, while others truly understand teaching. New technologies now also allow us to conduct tactical drills in advance without stepping onto the field.

Do you think that after you bring these changes, the team's performance will double?

Logically, it should. If the Portuguese team's performance cannot be better than it was at the FIFA World Cup, I won't be able to achieve better results. We must play better. If we can't improve, then we're just continuing to hold onto a dream.

This situation has been going on for many years, not just this FIFA World Cup. We have many excellent players, but not many championships. We won the Euros, which is an honor, and although it was 10 years ago, we did win the championship.

We also won the Nations League. Many people think it's not the most important tournament, but in reality, it's the hardest to win because only the strongest European teams reach the final stages. Last year, it was Portugal, Spain, Germany, and France. In the FIFA World Cup, Argentina joined them. Among these teams, Argentina, France, and Spain all reached the semifinals.

National team coaches usually don't want to see the FA publicly set championship goals. What do you think of the Portuguese FA's current attitude?

This also relates to my personality. I had a wonderful time in Brazil. If you coach the Brazilian national team, you can only think about how to win, how to become a world champion; you must think this way. The players will give you signals and also make you believe that this goal is achievable.

Portugal has already won the Euros and has many players. I wouldn't say they are the best players in the world, but they play for the top clubs in the world, which is another matter. Whether they are the best players is another question. But they do play for the top teams in the world and Europe.

This gives us confidence, making us believe that Portugal has the conditions to win the FIFA World Cup and the Euros. In this FIFA World Cup, we stopped at the Round of 16, and everyone believed that team could have performed better. If I can't make the team play better, then the results won't change. That's a fact.

What goals has the FA set for you?

The biggest goal is the FIFA World Cup in Portugal in 2030, and that is also my goal. I am very proud to be able to coach my home country's national team. At the same time, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be held in Portugal; this prospect is always before us, and we can strive for such an opportunity.

We have all the conditions. In the teams I've coached, there are usually no other options. Whether it's Flamengo, Benfica, or Sporting Lisbon, a coach can't just say "we'll contend for the title." It's not "contend for the title," but rather, you must contend for the title. It's the same for the national team; the overall philosophy is to aim for victory. Whether we ultimately win the championship depends on the game itself.

Does the Nations League help you build the team?

For me, the change in this year's schedule is more favorable. We will play four to five consecutive matches, which helps me do my job. In the past, it was usually one or two matches, then players returned to their clubs and reassembled.

Now we will play continuously, and I can constantly convey my message to them during this period.

Some might say: "Matches every three days." No problem, some players will play, some won't. We still have training time to continue working and lay the foundation for the future.

Let's continue discussing the current format of the Nations League.

For me, this format is better. I can spend more time with the players, about 15 extra days to work together. In the past, players returned to their clubs from the national team with different philosophies, including training methods, game ideas, and communication styles.

Now the situation is different. I work with the national team, and when players come here from their clubs, their philosophies might be similar, but their training methods differ. Therefore, these 15 days are very important for us.

Portugal will next face Wales, Norway, and Denmark consecutively, with the latter two being very physical teams. How will Portugal cope with these opponents?

Norway eliminated Brazil in the FIFA World Cup, and Denmark has many players playing for top European clubs, as does Norway. They even have one of the best center forwards in the world right now, Haaland. We already know the strength of these teams.

As for physical condition, it's a factor to consider, but it won't change my judgment of the game philosophy. Physical confrontation can have an impact at certain moments, but technical ability and tactical understanding can often also provide an advantage.

You previously seemed to downplay the impact of player ego. So, what kind of character do you want the Portuguese team to have?

They must have a winner's mentality. Players need to share this spirit and show competitiveness in games. To be stronger than opponents, you can't just rely on technically skilled players, nor can you just rely on tactically astute coaches.

The team must have enough character to truly be competitive. This is a very important point. This can only be achieved when the team has character, unity, and prioritizes collective interests over individual interests.

Every time a squad list is announced, it draws attention. Can fans expect a relatively stable lineup, or will it be adjusted based on player form?

It will be chosen based on player form. The next squad list will be announced in September. Since the team was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup, some might say: "A new coach has arrived, and everyone will be replaced." That won't happen, I won't do that.

Moreover, we don't have enough time for large-scale changes, and the player selection pool isn't that vast. New players will certainly emerge in the next four years, of that I have no doubt. But in the short term, the squad list won't change much from the FIFA World Cup lineup. There might be two or three new faces, but no major adjustments.

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