Amid the shake-up, Sporting keep Varandas's right-hand man | OneFootball

The structure of the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy will remain unchanged for the 2026/27 season. Despite the various changes already confirmed at the level of Sporting’s youth coaching staff, Paulo Gomes will continue to serve as Academy director, remaining one of the leading figures in the club’s organization.

As in recent seasons, the official will continue to work closely with Tomaz Morais, co-general director of the Alcochete training center. The duo will therefore remain in charge of the day-to-day management of the green-and-white youth setup, at a time when the Club is seeking to return to success at youth level.

Paulo Gomes has held the position since October 2018 and knows the reality of Sporting’s youth academy well. Before taking over the leadership of the Academy, he spent eight years involved in the management of the EUL Hub, building up extensive experience in the development of young players. In 2025, that work was also recognized with the winning of a Stromp Award in the Coordinator category.

While the leadership structure remains stable, the same cannot be said of the dugout. João Santos and José João left their roles in charge of the under-23s and under-19s, respectively, after their contracts ended, while Diogo Teixeira also stepped down as technical coordinator of the under-15 teams.

These changes are part of the overhaul being carried out by Sporting in the youth setup, with the club’s officials seeking new ideas and different technical approaches to reverse the results of recent seasons and put Alcochete back on the path to titles.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.