Sporting Lisbon ready to fire Joao Pereira after just one month

In Portugal, Sporting CP dismissed Joao Pereira from his role as head coach after only eight games in charge. Pereira was appointed in November following the departure of Ruben Amorim, who left to take over the managerial position at Manchester United. Under Pereira, Sporting's performance significantly declined from their earlier success; they had been atop the Primeira Liga with an unbeaten record, but his tenure saw only one win in four league matches and a dismal outcome in the Champions League, where they dropped to 17th place. After a series of disappointing results—including a 5-1 defeat to Arsenal and a 0-0 draw with Gil Vicente—the club felt compelled to make a change. With Sporting trailing Benfica by one point and not performing as expected, the club's president, Frederico Varandas, acknowledged the disappointment in Pereira's performance and confirmed the decision to bring in Rui Borges from Vitoria Guimaraes as the new coach. Varandas expressed regret over not being able to provide more support to Pereira during a challenging time, citing injuries and emotional disruptions following Amorim's exit. The move to appoint Borges, who signed a contract through 2026, indicates the club's desire to stabilize and improve their current standings in both league and European competitions.