The 40-year-old Portuguese coach Joao Pereira has been dismissed just eight matches into his tenure at Sporting Lisbon, following a disappointing spell with only three wins.
Sporting has struggled to find its rhythm since Ruben Amorim’s departure last month. The former head coach, who led the team through a successful era, left to join Manchester United, leaving Pereira to take over. However, under his guidance, Sporting failed to maintain their momentum, winning just three of the eight matches played.
Amorim, now 39, had guided Sporting to two league titles, including last season. At the time of his departure, Sporting was leading the league table. But under Pereira, the team’s form dipped, dropping to second place, one point behind league leaders Benfica.
Their Champions League campaign took an even sharper downturn. When Amorim left, Sporting had three wins from four matches and sat in third place in their group. Since then, heavy defeats—5-1 to Arsenal and 2-1 to Club Brugge—have pushed them down to 17th.
The final straw came after a goalless draw in the league against Gil Vicente. Shortly after, Sporting’s management announced Pereira’s dismissal on Thursday, bringing an abrupt end to his short-lived stint during the holiday season.
In the same announcement, Sporting confirmed the appointment of Rui Borges, previously with Vitoria, as the new head coach.
