Football

Sporting CP sack Ruben Amorim's replacement Joao Pereira after just eight games

On Boxing Day, Sporting CP confirmed that Ruben Amorim's successor, Joao Pereira would be relieved of his duties as Rui Borges is appointed as the next head coach.

Soumit BhattacharyaDecember 27, 2024 at 07:14 AM • 4 min read
Sporting CP sack Ruben Amorim's replacement Joao Pereira after just eight games
On Boxing Day, Sporting CP confirmed that Ruben Amorim's successor, Joao Pereira would be relieved of his duties as Rui Borges is appointed as the next head coach.

Sporting CP has sacked head coach Joao Pereira after being in charge for just over a month. Ruben Amorim's successor at the Portuguese club managed 8 games for the senior team across all competitions, managing only three wins. 

Sporting also presented Rui Borges as their next head coach on the same day in hopes of getting up from their midway slip this season. 

Pereira gets dismissed

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Joao Pereira was handed the duty of managing the first team on 11 November after the former first-team head coach Ruben Amorim signed for Manchester United.  

The 40-year-old Portuguese coach had previously managed various age group teams at Sporting, although he was promoted to head coach of the Sporting B team at the start of this season.

However, Pereira faced difficulties during his time at the helm, winning only three games out of eight. A brutal 1-5 defeat against Arsenal at home in the Champions League started to mount the pressure on Pereira. 

Before Amorim's exit to Old Trafford, Sporting were atop Liga Portugal and second in the Champions League leaderboard. Since Amorim's departure, they have slipped to second in the Portuguese league; a point short of Lisbon rivals Benfica. Sporting also dropped to 17th in the Champions League.

Pereira lost his first two domestic games consecutively against Santa Clara and Moreirense at the start of December. However, following a goalless draw against Gil Vicente on 23 December, Sporting decided to fire Pereira before the all-important face-off against Benfica on 30 December. 

Rui Borges is set to take over

Vitoria Guimaraes manager Rui Borges is announced to take over as the new coach with a contract set to run until 2026. Sporting CP announced the news of his appointment via its website and social platforms as his official presentation took place on Boxing Day. 

The 43-year-old coach had been in charge of Vitoria since the beginning of the season. Borges led Vitoria to finish the UEFA Conference League league stage in second place, with four wins and two draws; being the only second team to stay unbeaten in the Conference League alongside Chelsea.

The official statement of his appointment and presentation reads:

Sporting Clube de Portugal presented Rui Borges as the new coach of the first team, on a contract through 2026...

Sporting President Frederico Varandas thanked former boss Joao Pereira and expressed his gratitude towards him.

João Pereira came in at a time when everyone knew there was an extremely tough challenge ahead. Unfortunately, we came to the conclusion that it was not working out. We knew the difficulties and the brutal emotional shock caused by Rúben Amorim's departure. There was also a wave of injuries, the likes of which I have never had before as president of this club, and unfortunate refereeing calls that went against us,

The only thing I regret was not being able to help João Pereira more. We wish João all the best and have no doubt that he will succeed due to the qualities, skills and character he has. When I sat down with João Pereira to negotiate his termination, he didn't even want a cent as a payoff.

(Image Credit | Sporting Website)

Rui Borges also shared some words after signing for his new club.

Want to add trophies to Sporting CP's history, as well as giving joy to the fans. That's our focus. I'm happy with the players we have. We are going to be competent and competitive with them. For me, they are the best. At this great club, the demand is for victories and trophies. That's what we are here for, to fight for that. Things may not always work out, but there can be no lack of attitude,

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Soumit Bhattacharya

Soumit Bhattacharya's path to football content writing has been a natural progression of his innate love for sports, especially for football. Being a dedicated football enthusiast since childhood, he is well-versed and has a profound passion for the beautiful game, sharing readers a vast knowledge base through insighful narratives.

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