After just six weeks

©IMAGO

Ruben Amorim’s successor at Sporting, João Pereira, has left his post as coach after just six weeks. The 40-year-old made it three wins in eight matches and said goodbye on Boxing Day evening. The replacement, Rui Borges, is already ready – he comes from Vitória Guimarães for a fee of 4.1 million euros.

Pereira was promoted from Sporting’s youth team in mid-November following Amorim’s transfer to Manchester United; he had only taken over the second team last summer and was also looking after talent in the Youth League. Among the professionals, Pereira, who played for Hannover 96 in the second half of the 2014/15 season, had a points average of 1.25.

Borges is only three years older than Pereira, but he brings with him a lot more experience. He has been away 49 times for Vitória Guimarães and Moreirense in the Portuguese first division, and also has 127 matches in the second division to his name. Borges leaves Guimarães after just six months and he averaged 2.03 points in 30 games.