Ruben Amorim replacement sacked on Christmas with £3.4m festive bill for brutal decision

Rui Borges has now been appointed as Sporting's next head coach with Vitoria Guimaraes being paid a 4.1 million settlement fee for the 43-year-old.

Pereira, who took charge on November 11 following Amorim's move to Old Trafford, managed to win only three of his eight games at the helm.

Pereira, 40, was a former full-back who had enjoyed three separate spells as a player at the Portuguese club.

After hanging up his boots, he moved into coaching with Sporting's youth setup, spending two years in charge of their Under-23 team.

At the start of this season, Pereira had been promoted to lead Sporting's reserve side before his unexpected elevation to first-team manager.

His tenure was marked by several disappointing results, including a heavy 5-1 home defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League.

Pereira made unwanted history by becoming the first Sporting manager to lose four of his opening five matches in charge.

Despite the poor start, his team had shown recent signs of improvement with a three-game unbeaten run heading into the Christmas period.

The club's decision to dismiss Pereira came despite this mini-revival, with the announcement made late on Christmas Day.

Under Pereira's leadership, Sporting have slipped to second place in the Portuguese league, sitting one point behind rivals Benfica.

The club's Champions League position has also deteriorated, with the team now languishing in 17th place.

This represents a significant decline from when Amorim departed, at which point Sporting were top of the domestic league and second in the Champions League table.

A defeat to Club Brugge has left the Portuguese side battling to qualify for the knockout stages.

The club announced Pereira's departure with a brief statement that read: "A Lion forever. Thank you, Joao Pereira."

LATEST SPORT NEWS:

• Oleksandr Usyk makes admission about his 'fake Rolex' after securing huge £69m following Tyson Fury win
• Emma Raducanu shares Christmas snaps from outside the UK as tennis star prepares for big 2025
• Mohamed Salah flooded with support despite Muslim fans blasting Liverpool star for Christmas snap

Reports in Portuguese media had suggested Pereira was under pressure before Christmas.

It had been claimed that club officials were planning to meet with the manager after the Christmas break.

Instead, despite signing a contract until 2027, Pereira was dismissed on Christmas Day with the late-night announcement.

Sporting are next in action on December 29, when they host league leaders Benfica.