Rui Borges at Sporting: Winning the double in Portugal and beating PSG in Europe - there's life after Ruben Amorim
Sporting were a success under Ruben Amorim but Rui Borges has since won their first double in 23 years and beat Paris Saint-Germain last time out in the Champions League. Adam Bate finds out how Borges has Sporting mixing it with Europe's elite...
Tuesday 27 January 2026 15:50, UK
There are five Premier League teams in the top eight of the Champions League table going into the final round of games. The other three sides are Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona and Manchester City sit just outside.
But sandwiched between Barca and City, there is another famous old club hoping to cause an upset and force their way into the last 16. Rui Borges' Sporting beat PSG last time out. Shock Athletic Club in Bilbao and the Lisbon team could yet sneak through.
In guaranteeing a playoff spot with a game to spare, Borges has already surpassed expectations. Compared to last season, Sporting have scored more goals, conceded fewer and have more points. They have won every home game for the first time.
Borges had already developed a reputation in Portugal as something of a European specialist because of his impressive run with Vitoria Guimaraes last season. It was his fine work with Vitoria in the Conference League that earned him the Sporting job.
His team won six games out of six just to reach the league phase. Thereafter, they went unbeaten in that league phase to finish second in the 36-team table to the eventual winners Chelsea. Borges was presented as the new Sporting coach on Boxing Day.
Replacing Ruben Amorim in Lisbon following his departure for Manchester United was a daunting task. Joao Pereira had tried but lasted only eight games, contriving to lose four in a row with a team that had been unbeaten for six months under Amorim prior to that.
Borges soon turned it around, winning the double for the first time in 23 years. Even Amorim never managed that. His team did not suffer a single defeat in domestic competition, going unbeaten against all their rivals for the first time in two decades.
This time around Porto are proving the pace-setters but as well as Borges surpassed the achievements of Amorim in Europe, he has transitioned away from the much discussed 3-4-3 formation in favour of his preferred 4-2-3-1. Sporting are more exciting as a result.
Viktor Gyokeres was sold but they are scoring more than before, Luis Suarez proving a revelation. Only Bayern in Europe's major leagues are outscoring Sporting. Two teams have been hit for six. They have scored in 28 games in a row in all competitions.
Playing at home, Sporting's scoring record in the league is their best for 60 years. Away from home, it is their best scoring record in 80 years. This change of style has been achieved while bringing in only two new signings, trusting in young talent instead.
One of the biggest recent surprises has been João Simões, the 19-year-old who is back from injury and who started the win over PSG. Salvador Blopa and Flavio Goncalves, both 18, have been introduced recently, the former coming on away to Bayern.
Borges' journey is a curious one. Unlike Amorim, a Portugal international, his own playing career was modest. Playfully referred to as the Luis Figo of Mirandela - his hometown club - he never made it higher than Portugal's second division as a player.
He still clings to those modest beginnings. He has a tattoo of his late grandfather, a shoemaker in the town. Partly due to superstitious reasons, he continues to wear the same affordable Casio watch on his wrist rather than the expensive trinkets of his peers.
It was at Mirandela that his coaching career began, taking the club from the amateur ranks to stabilise them in the second tier. "Even as a player in the dressing room, you could already see that Rui was a true leader," says Mirandela's president Carlos Correia.
"He brought people together, a real coach on the pitch who knew everything about the game. Backing him was easy and it quickly became clear that he would reach higher levels. I was convinced he would make history. That is exactly what has happened.
'He was on another level'
From there it was not plain sailing with brief spells at five different clubs in Portugal before winning promotion to the top level with Moreirense. But speak to those who worked with during that period and his methods were always admired and respected.
"He is an exceptional coach," says Lucas Rodriguez, who played under Borges when he was at second-tier side CD Mafra as recently as 2023. "It is his attitude and intelligence when it comes to the mental aspect. It was soon clear that he was on another level."
Rodriguez explains: "He had just left a side that was at the top of the table and he joined us at a critical moment when we were in the relegation zone. He managed to lead us to sixth. He left his mark on the club's history. That is why I will always be rooting for him."
Going on to achieve Moreirense's best ever league finish and points tally in their history earned him the chance at Vitoria and Borges moved on to Sporting from there. Now he has taken charge of the first Sporting team ever to defeat Europe's reigning champions.
"It was something truly historic," says Correia. "As we saw against Paris Saint-Germain, he sets his teams up to play attractive, attacking football with quality. He played a huge role in that victory and fully deserved it. We are all extremely proud of his journey."
He adds: "After all these years, he still makes a point of coming back home to Mirandela, spending time with his lifelong friends, maintaining his genuineness and authenticity. He visits and speaks to everyone as if nothing had changed in his career."
But it has changed. Borges' name is now being mentioned among Europe's elite. And while Amorim's struggles at United might put off some in the Premier League, others will note the differences as much as the similarities. Bigger achievements lie ahead of him.
"In my opinion, he will make an even bigger leap very soon," says Correia. "Within two years, Rui will be at another level of international football. He is a coach for European giants." Sporting will say that he is already there. But the best could be yet to come.
