Aurélio da Silva Pereira (born 1 October 1947)[1] is a former football coach and youth player scout who was professionally involved with the men's football team of Sporting Clube de Portugal (Sporting CP) for several decades. Firstly, as a player at youth and junior level; then, as coach of all the Sporting CP's youth teams (two-time national youth champion); and, finally, as sporting director of all youth football in 1995-96 and 1996–97. In 1988,[2] he was the mastermind and creator of the Sporting CP's world-renowned recruitment and youth development department,[3][4][5] which he coordinated for over 30 years.[6][7] Hundreds of boys were scouted and coached under his direct supervision and responsibility across decades of work as a youth coach and scout at Sporting CP, some of them would become notable world-class footballers, such as Paulo Futre, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.[8][9][10][11]
Career
editBorn on 1 October 1947 in Lisbon, Aurélio da Silva Pereira started his career in football at Sporting Clube de Portugal as a youth player, later joining Operário FC (from Alfama neighbourhood) and Futebol Benfica as a player. As a coach for Futebol Benfica he managed to take the club to the national championships.[12] Having already had a successful career in business as a salesman, he became a coach in his spare time to help his brother.[13] Then, responding to a challenge from Hilário, one of Sporting CP's most notable players from 1958 to 1973, Aurélio da Silva Pereira returned to Sporting CP where he coached youth football for over twenty years. In 1988, he decided to create the Recruitment and Training Department of Sporting CP, and within which he developed a national network of scouts to identify young football talent. It was this new systematized network, born from its smaller predecessor which was also operating under the supervision of Aurélio Pereira (Paulo Futre was discovered by Pereira in 1975),[14] that allowed Sporting CP to be the first to discover promising players such as Emílio Peixe, Luís Figo, Simão Sabrosa, Ricardo Quaresma, Nani or Cristiano Ronaldo. With the creation of the Sporting Academy and the progressive professionalisation of the department he created, Aurélio da Silva Pereira ceased to be just a natural talent spotter, reinforcing the image of a trainer by regularly bringing new players into Sporting CP's teams.[15][16][17]
Honors and recognition
editFor his career he was honoured twice with Sporting CP's Stromp Award (in 1982 in the Technical category and in 2002 in the Dedication category) and in 2006 with the Golden Lion. On 3 September 2012, Sporting Clube de Portugal paid tribute to Aurélio da Silva Pereira by naming the main pitch at the club's academy after him.[18][19] The ceremony was attended by many of the talents he discovered, testifying to the importance that Aurélio da Silva Pereira played in sports training, particularly football, over more than forty years.[20][21] In January 2017, he was awarded the City of Lisbon Sports Merit Medal. The insignia awarded by the President of the Republic to Aurélio da Silva Pereira were received by his daughter, Mafalda Pereira.[15][16] In 2018, he was awarded the UEFA Order of Merit[22][23] and, next to Sporting CP's Pavilhão João Rocha indoor arena Sporting CP presented its new youth football academy school (Escola Academia Aurélio Pereira) named after Aurélio Pereira with three 5-a-side football fields, with the aim of complementing the Pólo EUL (Sporting CP's facilities for U13 development footballers at the EUL – Estádio Universitário de Lisboa).[24][25] After his retirement, Aurélio Pereira was appointed consultant of Sporting CP's youth development system.[26] On 20 November 2023 he won the Quinas de Ouro trophy awarded by the Portuguese Football Federation.[17]
Personal life
editAurélio Pereira is brother of Carlos Pereira,[27] who as a player, served Sporting CP for 13 years and as a coach, worked in the club's youth team and was Paulo Bento's assistant in the main team between October 2005 and November 2009. Carlos Pereira also coached Belenenses and Alverca.[28]
Published works
editIn 2021, Aurélio Pereira published the book Ver para Crer – Memórias de Descoberta e Formação de Talento, written with the help of journalist Rui Miguel Tovar.[29][30][31]
References
edit- ^ "Aurélio Pereira :: Perfil do Treinador :: zerozero.pt". www.zerozero.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Trabalho do detetor de talentos Aurélio Pereira em livro". Notícias ao Minuto (in Portuguese). 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Clapham, Alex (2018-02-16). "Inside the Sporting Lisbon academy, where Ballon d'Or winners are made". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Sporting rename academy after Ronaldo". ESPN.com. 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ Sharland, Pete. "FOOTBALL FEATURE - SPORTING CLUB DE PORTUGAL - ENDING 19 YEARS OF HURT BY ROLLING THE DICE". www.eurosport.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira: O "olho de ouro" que levou Portugal à glória europeia | Jornal Económico". leitor.jornaleconomico.pt (in Portuguese). 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ Fernandes, Mariana. "20 anos de Academia. Os recados de Varandas, o olhar do mestre Aurélio e os pormenores do projeto de expansão de 12 milhões". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira, o "olho de ouro" da formação do Sporting". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ Francisco, Luís (2007-06-02). "Aurélio Pereira, duas décadas a caçar talentos". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira: até um fim de semana romântico dava para detetar talento". Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Descobriu Ronaldo, Figo e Futre. Aurélio Pereira recorda com emoção longa carreira que "valeu a pena"". TSF Rádio Notícias (in European Portuguese). 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira: "Academia não trata só dos pés, trata também da cabeça"". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2008-10-25. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "BNP - Ver para crer". bibliografia.bnportugal.gov.pt. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Silva, Duarte (2023-06-17). "CRAQUE QUE AURÉLIO PEREIRA DESCOBRIU NO SPORTING É HOMENAGEADO EM MADRID PELO SEU IMPACTO NO DESPORTO". Leonino – Onde o Sporting é notícia (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- ^ a b Palma, Tiago. "Aurélio Pereira. O homem que descobriu Ronaldo, Quaresma, Nani e muitos mais". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ a b "Condecoração de Aurélio da Silva Pereira". www.parlamento.pt. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ a b "Ronaldo sobre Aurélio Pereira: "Sempre teve aptidão para ver os craques"". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Oceano já dá treino... sem os capitães". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "'Se passar por um bando de miúdos a jogar, paro logo o carro'". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Cortez, Rodrigo (3 September 2012). "Aurélio Pereira ganha nome de estádio". O Jogo.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira ganha nome de estádio". Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ UEFA.com (2018-02-26). "UEFA Order of Merit awards | Inside UEFA". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira distinguido com Ordem de Mérito da UEFA". FPF (in European Portuguese). 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Bruno Fernandes e companhia, os «novos» craques da formação do Sporting". Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- ^ "Aurélio Pereira". www.sporting.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "O caloroso abraço entre Aurélio Pereira e Varandas: 'Senhor Formação' está nas bancadas do 'seu' estádio". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- ^ "Carlos Pereira :: Perfil do Jogador :: zerozero.pt". www.zerozero.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "O defesa que quase não via cartões". www.sporting.pt (in European Portuguese). 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Apresentado livro de memórias de Aurélio Pereira". Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (in Portuguese). 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Apresentação do livro "Ver para Crer", as memórias de Aurélio Pereira". CNN Portugal (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ M80. "Rui Tovar revela o livro "Ver para Crer" sobre o caça-talentos Aurélio Pereira". M80 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
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