Sporting have appointed Rui Borges as head coach after sacking Portuguese champions Joao Pereira on Boxing Day. The new head coach signed a contract until June 2026, with an option to extend for another year.
Pereira, who took over after Ruben Amorim’s departure to Manchester United in November, was in charge of eight matches, with Sporting winning just three, suffering back-to-back Champions League defeats and finishing second in the Primeira Liga behind rivals Benfica.
Pereira’s replacement Borges took over at Sporting after they paid Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes a €4.1 million settlement to secure the 43-year-old’s services.
Borges, who coached the Portuguese club, took over at Vitoria in May. He guided them to the knockout stages of the Conference League, where they finished the group stage as one of two unbeaten clubs alongside Chelsea in England.
“The time is right for me. It is always right. I am very positive, I believe that things happen when they are meant to be. This is an opportunity that we have all worked for,” Borges said in his unveiling. “I am the leader of the Portuguese champions and I am happy.” can’t
“I look at the squad and it’s the best – it’s not even time to talk about signings.”
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Sporting against Benfica at the top of the table next Sunday.
