Aurelio Pereira, the passing of a green and white giant

It's not every day that you meet a legend. In 2023, Vcoaching had that chance. In the corridors of the Alcochete Academy, the home of Sporting Portugal, that day, a singular excitement had spread: Aurelio Pereira was paying his customary visit to the Academy that he helped to create. An obligatory passage for the historic scout of Sporting. And, we must add, for the whole of Portugal if we consider that the team selection that won Euro 2016 had no fewer than 10 players recruited by "the Eye of Sporting". Among them, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo of course, but also Nani, Quaresma, Moutinho, Rui Patricio... Renamed the "Aurélios", they join the long list of talents spotted by the man who completely redesigned the club's recruitment unit in 1988. In the photo of those who then put the national team on top of Europe, another Ballon d'Or winner, Luis Figo, entrusted by his father to Aurélio's care. One constant, Miguel Henrique, the club's communications manager, tells us: "What distinguished Aurelio over time, from the recruiters of other clubs, was that he had an ability to think about player scouting reports from a human and personal angle while also promoting the club's values. Parents had absolute confidence in him, because they knew that their child would be in good hands and that the bond would not be broken."
 

"Sporting players must demonstrate 3 qualities: passion for training, passion for the game and passion for the job!"

As a sign of recognition for the Institution, the portrait of the recruiter appears on many sections of walls at the Academy as well as in the meeting rooms of the Football School and the club's pre-training zone. Technical director Diogo Teixeira testifies: "Aurélio Pereira is someone who embodies the image of Sporting and who, as such, occupies a unique place in the hearts of the club's supporters. But the most remarkable thing about him is that this consideration is shared throughout the entire country." In the corridor of the stadium that bears his name and in which the youth teams of the training centre play their matches, a fresco covering three quarters of the wall quotes his words: "Sporting players must demonstrate 3 qualities: passion for training, passion for the game and passion for the job!" An icon, for sure, who has passed away at the age of 77. In Portugal, where tributes have been pouring in, Cristiano Ronaldo's will sum up the legacy left by the man who first believed in the legend's talent: "One of the greatest symbols of world football has left us, but his legacy will live on forever.”