“Football’s Hidden Hero: The Scout Who Uncovered Ronaldo and Figo Leaves Behind a Legacy of Stardom”
“Born on October 1, 1947, he joined Sporting CP to play football and later left to join Clube Futebol Benfica to become a coach.
“He returned to the club to coach the younger teams for around 20 years. In 1988, he created and became head of Recruitment and from then on, his story is more than well-known.
“He discovered many of the greatest national talents and brought them to Sporting, where they grew and thrived and later moved on to the biggest stages of world football.
“From Paulo Futre, to Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, but also the most younger talents, Aurelio Pereira is largely responsible for the careers of several national football figures over the last 40 years.
“He was a leader in his profession and a person everyone looked upon. He received two ‘Stromp’ awards and a ‘Golden Lion’ and in 2012, the club named Sporting’s academy and main training pitch after him.
“In 2016, he saw the Portugal national team win the European Championships in France where ten players were discovered by him. Their nickname was ‘The Aurelios.’ In 2017, he received the medal of ‘Sporting Merit’ by the city of Lisbon and in 2018, Uefa awarded him with the ‘Order of Merit’ award, for his unparalleled contribution to the development of Portuguese and European football.
“He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest names in the history of national football and, above all, in the history of Sporting Clube de Portugal. Sporting CP extends its deepest condolences to his family and friends, while also praising and thanking him for his years of effort, dedication, devotion, and the glory he brought while wearing the Lion on his chest.”
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