Pprecisely half a year after renewing his contract with Sporting, until June 2028 (with another season as an option), Rui Borges saw the resignation of the technical command of the main football team announced, following a start to the 2026/27 sporting season below expectations, which resulted in a record of nine wins, three draws and two defeats after nine official matches, in all competitions.
The scenario had been anticipated for a long time, and was made official just a few minutes after 8pm (Continental Portugal time) on Sunday, in a statement in which the green and white SAD informed that it had met in the afternoon with the Mirandelenense, “talks having been started with a view to terminating the employment relationship” and committed to revealing “the new coach soon”.
This coach, as reported by the Sport at the Minuteit will, in all probability, be Paulo Fonseca, who, also on Sunday, gave an emotional farewell look in what, by all indications, would have been the last game at the helm of Olympique Lyon, which culminated in a 2-0 victory over Angers, at the Groupama Stadium.
This Monday, the Portuguese coach will sit down at the table with those responsible for the Gones, with the aim of putting everything on a ‘clean plate’, especially because this turnaround came at a time when negotiations between both parties with a view to renewing the current contract (which ends in June 2027) had long been at an impasse, given the financial difficulties the club is going through.
Paulo Fonseca’s contract (and debut) at Sporting
For now, there is still no understanding between Paulo Fonseca and Sporting. Even so, the newspaper O Jogo writes that, on the table, there will be a contract valid for more than two years, that is, after the French newspaper L’Équipe reported the lions’ willingness to match the salary he earns at Olympique Lyonbetween 350 and 400 thousand euros per month.
If everything goes as expected, the Portuguese-Mozambican – Sporting fan at heart, as was also revealed by Desporto ao Minuto – he should debut in his new role on the new Saturday, at 8:30 pm (Mainland Portugal time), in the match of the tenth round of the I League, against Moreirense, at the José Alvalade Stadium.
Rui Borges refused to be on the bench against Shakhtar Donestk
For now, as Sporting itself clarified, it will be up to Tiago Fernandes, the team’s coach, to assume, “with immediate effect, the interim technical command of the team”, namely, in the match of the fourth round of the Champions League league phase, which has the starting whistle scheduled for 5:45 pm on Tuesday, at Stamford Bridge.
This is because, according to the newspaper O Jogo, Rui Borges was displeased with the way the president of the green and white emblem, Frederico Varandas, managed this entire process, as, in his opinion, he put his authority into question, to the point of feeling that it would no longer make sense to sit on the bench again, for what would be his 100th game in office.
