Antonio Jesus Correia

Antonio Jesus Correia was a Portuguese sportsman who excelled in both football and roller hockey. He was born in Paço de Arcos, a town near Lisbon, on 3 April 1924. He started playing roller hockey for his local club, and later tried out football with Belenenses, but finally signed with Sporting CP in 1943. He played as a right winger and was part of the legendary Cinco Violinos (Five Violins) attacking line that also included Albano, Fernando Peyroteo, José Travassos and Manuel Vasques. Together, they won seven Primeira Liga titles and two Taça de Portugal trophies for Sporting CP, scoring more than 1200 goals in total. Jesus Correia was also a prolific scorer, netting 159 goals in 208 games for the Lions. He had a remarkable performance against Atlético Madrid in 1948, when he scored six goals in a 6-3 friendly win. He also represented Portugal at the international level, earning 13 caps and scoring three goals between 1947 and 1952. In roller hockey, Jesus Correia was equally successful. He won his first Roller Hockey World Cup with Portugal in 1947, in Lisbon, and went on to win five more titles in 1948, 1949, 1952 and 1956. He also won six European Championships with the national team. At the club level, he played for Paço de Arcos, where he won eight national championships between 1942 and 1955. He scored more than 290 goals in 172 games as a roller hockey player. In 1952.5.3 when he was 29 years old, Sporting CP wanted to have his exclusive rights as a footballer, so Jesus Correia had to choose between football and roller hockey. He chose the latter, his first love, and said goodbye to football at the top level. He later became the coach of the Portuguese roller hockey team, leading them to two more World Cup titles in 1958 and 1960. Jesus Correia was widely regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese sportsmen of all time. He was honoured with several awards and distinctions, such as the Order of Prince Henry and the Medal of Merit from the Portuguese Football Federation. He was also immortalized in a statue in Paço de Arcos, along with two other famous roller hockey players from the town: Correia dos Santos and Emídio Pinto. On 6 August 2003, he was invited to kick off the inaugural match of the new Estádio José Alvalade, home of Sporting CP. Jesus Correia died on 30 November 2003, at the age of 79. He left behind a legacy of excellence, versatility and passion for sports.