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Cristiano Ronaldo has paid tribute to Aurelio Pereira, Sporting's former head of recruitment who passed away at the age of 77. Aurelio founded the club's recuitment and training department in 1988 in a bid to unearth the best talent in the country.
It turned out to be a massive hit, with Aurelio discovering many young players who would go on to conquer the world. Among his finds were Luis Figo, CR7, Nani, and Ricardo Quaresma.
Interestingly, the Portugal squad that won Euro 2016 included 10 players found by him, and was dubbed the 'Aurelios'. Cristiano Ronaldo, understandably, was saddened by the death of the scout who discovered him.
The 40-year-old took to Instagram to pay homage to Aurelio, thanking the legend for helping him and countless others.
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"One of the greatest symbols of world training has left us, but his legacy will live on forever. I will never stop being grateful for everything he did for me and for so many other players. Until forever, Mr. Aurélio, thank you for everything. Rest in peace," wrote Ronaldo.
Aurelio Pereira was awarded the Medal of Sporting Merit by the City of Lisbon in 2017. UEFA recognized his contributions in developing Portuguese and European football in 2018, handing him the Order of Merit. Sporting have named their academy's main pitch after him.
What has Cristiano Ronaldo said about targeting 1,000 goals in his career?
Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that he is not obsessed about scoring 1,000 goals in his career. The Portuguese superstar is the first player to cross the 900-goal mark in football, and has registered 931 goals from 1,272 games for club and country.
Speaking recently, as cited by The Hindustan Times, CR7 insisted that he simply wants to enjoy the final days of his career.
“Let’s enjoy the moment… I’m not chasing 1,000 goals as obsession. If it happens, perfect. If it doesn’t happen, it’s okay! The moment is the most special thing — not what’s gonna come. Guys, let’s enjoy the present for now,” said Ronaldo.
He continued:
“Records and having a certain number of goals left 70 or 69, that’s good yes. But now in the last years of my career I have to take advantage of the moment… and enjoy it, I want to continue like this step by step and championship after championship.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 30 goals from 34 games for Al-Nassr this season.
