Tiago Petunga/EPA
Rui Borges, former coach of Vitória de Guimarães, during the presentation as Sporting’s new coach.
Contract valid until June 2026, with the possibility of another season. The 43-year-old coach arrives from Guimarães with quality that Sporting fans know well, replacing João Pereira who “didn’t go well”.
Rui Borgesuntil now coach of Vitória de Guimarães, was presented this Thursday as the new coach of Sporting.
The Alvalade club made the signing of the Trás-os-Montes native official, along with his assistants, with contracts valid until June 30, 2026, extendable until June 30, 2027“in function of achieving sporting objectives or at the option of Sporting SAD”, in exchange for 4.1 million euros by the clause that tied the coach to the Guimarães.
He is “a man who leads by example, by simple speech”, said Frederico Varandas at a press conference this Thursday, at the presentation of Rui Borges, who confirmed in turn that he is a man of few words.
“I don’t talk much, I’m very calm, honest, sincere, pure, given my people from Trás-os-Montes“, he made a point of marking the new commander of the lions.
“I want to thank the president for his words, for his trust, above all for his courage in looking at us as a coaching staff capable of leading Sporting, which makes us proud and happy,” said the coach.
“Delicate moment? For me there is none”
Regarding the less good moment in which he takes over the club, Rui Borges is not worried: “I don’t see the moment as delicate. The club is on all fronts. I don’t know what the delicate moment is, for me as a coach there isn’t one.”
The transfer market, which opens in January, is also calm.
“I look at the squad and it’s the best. This is not the time to be talking about hiring. I’m happy with the ones available. Let’s be competent with who we have, competitive,” he said: “In relation to what the president asked for? Victories are asked for.”
The 43-year-old coach also spoke about the debut against Benficaon December 29th.
“For me the moment is always right. I’m very positive, I believe that things happen when they need to happen. I’m the leader of the national champion, I couldn’t be happier”, he guaranteed.
João Pereira “didn’t go well”
The 43-year-old Portuguese succeeds João Pereirawho leaves Sporting’s technical command after three wins in eight games.
“He entered a moment that we all know, an extremely complicated and challenging challenge. The truth is that, both we Sporting and João, unfortunately, We came to the conclusion that it didn’t go well“, said Frederico Varandas this Thursday, at the presentation of the new coach.
“The only thing I regret was not being able to help João Pereira more and I will carry that with me forever”, said Varandas: “we wish him good luck and we have no doubt that João Pereira will have his due success due to his merit, skills and character.”
“I also have to say that when I sat down with João Pereira to negotiate his termination, he I didn’t even want a cent of two and a half years of contract. I just said: ‘This club gave me everything. You will never have to pay anything’. This says a lot about what João is and I want to thank him for everything he tried and failed to do at our club”, highlighted the president.
“Looking back, the main problem was that João Pereira couldn’t have been João Pereira. Unconsciously, he had to adapt and make an already assembled machine continue rolling according to the former coach. Whether it was João Pereira or anyone else, unfortunately I would go through this”, highlighted the director of the Sporting team.
João Pereira, 40 years old, managed the ‘lions’ B team until November 11th, when he succeeded Rúben Amorim, who went to Manchester United, having won three games since then (two in the Portuguese Cup and one in the I Liga), plus a draw, on Sunday at Gil Vicente’s home (0-0), and four defeats as coach of the main team.
“A lion forever”wrote Sporting when saying goodbye to their former right-back.
Change to 4-3-3: “gives rise to a lot of things”
At 43 years old, Rui Borges reaches a great age, after starting the season at Vitória, which remains in sixth place, after the fifth place achieved with Moreirense. The Trás-os-Montes native from Mirandela also coached clubs such as Académico de Viseu, Académica, Nacional, Vilafranquense and Mafra.
In the presentation, Frederico Varandas highlighted his “great work” over the years.
“Starting at the modest Mirandela, moving up through several projects, several clubs that were increasingly demanding, and always with his idea of the game, always with his leadership, and he grew and rose steadily, arriving at Mafra, where he did an excellent job. Passing through Moreirense, where he caught the attention of the Sporting structure, he moved on to a club that has great pressure, great demands, where he continued with excellent work”, said the Leonine president.
About change from 3-4-3 to 4-3-3 system that his teams usually present, says that “it is very subjective to talk about”.
“It’s very subjective to talk about the system, because, if you look at what our teams have been like, over time, the systems have undergone mutations, with different dynamics. It’s just a structure that then gives rise to many things. I’m not going to stop being Rui Borges, I’m the leader of the technical team that we have been until today”, he explained, also leaving, “from the clothes shop to the canteen”, thanks to Vitória.
“Word of appreciation, thank you from the world, to Vitória, you believed in us, president, structure, from the clothes shop to the canteen, in the gym, everyone was important on our journey, in these months of work to achieve our dream of arriving Here, I would like to thank everyone at Vitória and the fans for their love”, he highlighted, “very happy and honored” to now represent Sporting.
“I’m very happy, proud, honored, I don’t have many words to describe what I’ve been feeling in the last few days”, he said: “with enormous confidence in being happy here at Sporting, I have no doubt that the future will be bright”.
is the new coach of
Welcome to the Lion’s kingdom, mister
— Sporting CP (@SportingCP)
O Sporting shares second place in the League with FC Portoboth with 37 points, to one of the leader Benficathe Alvalade team’s next opponent, on Sunday, in a game in the 16th round.
