Sporting clear-out claims first victim and manager seeks new club | OneFootball

Pedro Pontes has left Sporting after a long spell that began in 2010. The 39-year-old coach was in charge of the Lions’ under-17 team and now sees his time in Alvalade come to an end, with him already available to take on a new professional challenge, including the possibility of working outside Portugal.

In the 2025/26 season, the coach led Sporting’s under-17s in 35 official matches, recording 23 wins. The team finished the national championship playoff stage in fourth place, a result that ultimately did not prevent the green-and-white hierarchy from deciding to make a change in the technical leadership of that age group.

Pedro Pontes’ departure comes as part of a broader restructuring promoted by Sporting within its youth academy staff. João Santos and José João, in charge of the under-23 and under-19 teams respectively, also left their roles after their contracts ended, with no renewals agreed.

In addition to the coaches, the restructuring also affected coordination roles. Diogo Teixeira, who served as technical coordinator for the under-15 teams, also ended his connection with the Club.

It should be remembered that Sporting are going through a less successful period in terms of youth titles. The Lions have not won any championships in the main age groups since 2021/22, the season in which they won the national under-17 and under-15 titles. Since then, Benfica and Porto have dominated youth competitions, a scenario that helps explain the changes now implemented by Sporting’s hierarchy.

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