How Frederico Varandas revived a moribund Sporting Portugal | OneFootball

Former army doctor Frederico Varandas has dragged Sporting Portugal back from the brink since 2018. The club, 14th in the Champions League league phase, host PSG in Lisbon on Tuesday at 21:00.

According to L'Équipe, the nadir came on 15 May 2018 when about 40 ultras stormed Alcochete. Weeks later, president Bruno de Carvalho, strongly suspected of having directed the raid, resigned, leaving debts around €450m.

Elected on 8 September 2018, Varandas made the decisive call in March 2020, paying €10m to prise Ruben Amorim from Braga after only 13 senior games as a coach. Amorim’s 3-4-3 and high-tempo football, alongside sporting director Hugo Viana, turned Sporting into a winning, talent-developing, cash-generating machine.

He confronted the stands, clashing with Juve Leo and Directivo Ultras XXI, while overhauling finances and structure. He is already the club’s most decorated president, with three league titles, two domestic cups, three League Cups and one Super Cup.

Not everything has been smooth. Varandas has sometimes played up Sporting’s underdog status against Benfica and Porto, and even called Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa a bandit. Aside from Amorim and Rui Borges, in post since 26 December 2024, he has hired and fired six coaches.

Under him, Sporting have sold for €746m and spent €360m, trimming debt that once hit €450m. The last four campaigns yielded €82m profit. He has earmarked €150m to modernise José Alvalade before the 2030 World Cup co-hosted by Portugal with Spain and Morocco, and bought back the stadium mall for €17m.

Source: L'Équipe