Ex-Benfica man pinched Sporting’s star, consequences showing | OneFootball

Sporting has lost a key member of its youth development team. According to information obtained exclusively by our newspaper, Exclusivo Leonino, Rodrigo Magalhães, former technical director of Benfica’s youth teams, has recruited António Cruz for Neom, in Saudi Arabia. The coach, who was in charge of Sporting’s under-15s, accepted the invitation to take on new duties in the Middle East, leaving a gap in the green and white structure.

The coach’s departure took the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy by surprise. After accepting the financial offer to move abroad, the coach left the under-15s in the hands of João Lourenço. This sudden change in the technical team forced an immediate internal reorganization in an attempt to minimize the damage to the young talents’ sporting journey.

However, the impact of this change is already being felt on the pitch. Just this Sunday, the Sporting team suffered a heavy home defeat against Porto, losing 5-1. In fact, since the last match coached by the now Neom-based manager—against Barreirense on December 17—Sporting’s under-15s have recorded two draws (against Benfica and Tondela) and two defeats (against Porto and Académica de Santarém).

António Cruz was a well-known figure in Alcochete, where he had been since the 2011/12 season. He took charge of the under-15s in 2024/25, after a season as runners-up. Under his leadership, Sporting played 15 matches this season, winning 13 and drawing only two, a record that contrasts with the recent drop in collective performance without his guidance.

With the defeat against Porto—the second in 20 games this season—João Lourenço’s team has collected only one point in the Champion Qualification Phase. The next match is scheduled for next Saturday, February 14, against Alverca at 11:00 a.m., away from home.

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