LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 26: Joao Pereira, Head Coach of Sporting CP, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 26, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
Sporting Lisbon have sacked Joao Pereira after just six weeks in charge
Sporting have sacked Joao Pereira as manager, just six weeks after he replaced Ruben Amorim.
Pereira was promoted from his role as the club's B team boss when Amorim left to take over at Manchester United. Amorim took his entire backroom staff with him to Old Trafford and tipped Pereira for the top job.
But the risk to hand him his first senior job has backfire, with Pereira winning just three games. While Sporting had been top of the Primeira Liga with an unbeaten record when Amorim left, they now find themselves a point behind leaders Benfica.
Their latest slip-up came on Sunday night when they were held to a goalless draw by mid-table Gil Vincente. And that has proven to be one bad result too far for club chiefs, who announced on Boxing Day that Pereira had been sacked.
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Sporting president Frederico Varandas admitted that the experiment had not progressed an expected. But he placed the blame for Pereira's struggles on an injury crisis and poor referring decisions.
“I would like to say a special word to former coach João Pereira. He came in at a time we are all familiar with, an extremely complicated and challenging challenge. The truth is that both we at Sporting and João, unfortunately, came to the conclusion that it did not go well," Varandas said.
"We knew about the difficulties, we knew about the brutal emotional shock caused by Ruben Amorim’s departure. We believe that he truly experienced Murphy’s Law. He experienced a wave of injuries that we have never had before, and a wave of unfortunate refereeing decisions, which damaged the coach’s career.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim
Pereira replaced Ruben Amorim after his decision to leave Sporting for Manchester United
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Image:
Simon Stacpoole/Getty Images)
"It was a logical choice to continue the process, but today, looking back, the main problem was that João Pereira could not be João Pereira. We lost Ruben Amorim, but we also could not have João Pereira. If it had been another coach, unfortunately this would have happened."
Sporting have moved quickly to make Vitoria de Guimaraes boss Rui Borges their next manager. His first game comes on Sunday in a derby with Benfica and Varandas is backing Borges to succeed where Pereira failed.
“I have no doubt that Rui Borges will be able to be Rui Borges. Why such a confident presentation? That’s my concept of leadership. I don’t care if I’m going to be weakened if things go wrong, I care about what I can do to give strength and motivation," he added.
"Internal communication is more important than external communication. I only regret not having been able to help João more. When he is João Pereira, he will have his due success and merit.
"We are turning the page to the future. Rui Borges, a coach we have had on our radar for over a year, a coach who has built his career with great effort. We recognise in Rui Borges not only his game plan and his competence, but also a man who leads by example, by his simple words, a man whom his players follow."
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