Cristiano Ronaldo has paid respect to the coach who discovered him and several other top Portuguese players, who died on Tuesday.
Aurelio da Silva Pereira, who died at the age of 77, established Sporting Lisbon’s recruitment and training department in 1988 and oversaw the development of some of Portugal’s best players.
He found and developed players such as Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Nani, and Ricardo Quaresma. “One of the greatest symbols of world training has left us, but his legacy will live on forever,” Ronaldo wrote on social media.
“I will never stop being grateful for everything he did for me and for so many other players. Until forever, Mr. Aurelio, thank you for everything. Rest in peace.”
Aurelio Pereira was partially responsible for Portugal’s greatest football triumph, since the Euro 2016-winning side included ten players he helped find. The team was dubbed the ‘Aurelios’.
In 2017, the City of Lisbon awarded him the Medal of Sporting Merit, and in 2018, Uefa honored him with the Order of Merit for his contributions to the growth of Portuguese and European football.
“The death of Aurelio Pereira represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese Football,” the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.
