Sporting appoint Cristiano Ronaldo’s ex-Portugal teammate as replacement for Manchester United-bound Ruben Amorim

Sporting have appointed Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate Joao Pereira as their next manager following Ruben Amorim's departure to Manchester United. Amorim took over as the Red Devils' head coach on Monday, November 11, after they sacked Erik ten Hag at the end of October.

He left Sporting at the top of the league table after 11 games, with 11 wins to their name. The Portuguese, however, will have his work cut out at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils languishing in 13th place in the league.

Sporting, meanwhile, will be hoping Pereira can continue Amorim's good work at Estadio Jose Alvalade. The former Benfica graduate retired at Sporting in 2021, after winning the league under Amorim, and immediately took charge of the Under-23 team.

The 40-year-old, who shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo during their time together with Portugal, was handed the keys to Sporting B earlier this year. Pereira also filled in as the coach of the Under-19 team this season during the UEFA Youth League.

He registering three wins and one draw, including a 2-1 victory over the Manchester City Under-19 team. Pereira was so impressive in his first 11 games with Sporting B that the club promoted him to the first team job. The Portuguese will kickstart his tenure with the Taca de Portugal tie against Amarante on November 23.

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How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Sporting?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo rose through the ranks at Sporting before making his first team bow in August 2002 as a 17-year-old. He finished the campaign with five goals and six assists from 31 games and subsequently earned a move to Manchester United.

At Old Trafford, the Portuguese transformed into a household name. He won multiple trophies with the Premier League giants, including his first Ballon d'Or, before Real Madrid came calling.

Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 and went on to conquer the world with the LaLiga champions. He spent nine campaigns with Los Blancos, scoring a whopping 450 goals from 438 games.

The Portuguese left Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 to move to Juventus. After a three-season stay at Turin, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in the summer of 2021.

His second-coming at Old Trafford was a brief affair, with the player leaving the Red Devils in December 2022 to join Al-Nassr. The 39-year-old currently plies his trade with the Saudi Arabian club.