Official! Former Carlos Queiroz right-hand man signs for Sporting | OneFootball

It’s official. Sporting have unveiled Sebastião Macias as the new head coach of the under-16 team for the 2026/27 season. The 36-year-old arrives after a spell in the youth ranks at Neom (Saudi Arabia) and after serving as assistant to Carlos Queiroz with the national teams of Iran and Colombia.

Speaking to the Club’s official media, he said he was happy with the new challenge: “I’m absolutely thrilled, because Sporting truly are a great project for developing players. I couldn’t be more excited. It’s a source of pride to represent one of Portugal’s biggest clubs.”

The new coach — who had already predicted success for Luis Suárez at Alvalade — believes his international path could be an added asset in the day-to-day work: “My most recent experience abroad was in Saudi Arabia, but before that I was in Norway, with the Colombia national team and Iran. I was at a World Cup, a World Cup qualifying campaign, the Asian Cup and the Copa América. All of that experience was very enriching and I hope I can bring some of it to the work at Sporting as well,” he explained.

Assistant coach João Raimundo also highlighted his satisfaction at joining the Sporting setup and revealed what the coaching staff’s priorities will be: “It is an enormous pride to be able to represent a club like Sporting. Representing this badge is a goal for every coach, and being able to help these young players grow, develop and reach the highest levels of the Club is a huge source of pride for me,” he said.

What’s more, he also recalled his journey through youth football and the senior game: “I have worked at under-19 and senior level. Last year, I was at Cascais, and before that with Estoril-Praia’s under-19s. I also spent three years with Belenenses’ senior team. That work, and those last few years at higher levels, can give me the experience to pass on some know-how to the young athletes. For my part, I will give my very best, 100%. I will put all my experience into training throughout this season and will do everything I can to help these athletes, this team and, above all, Sporting achieve their objectives over the course of the season.”

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