Sporting run out of patience with Sá Pinto
Friday, October 5, 2012
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Oceano Cruz will lead Sporting Clube de Portugal into Sunday's meeting with FC Porto after the club responded to their disappointing start to the season by parting with Ricardo Sá Pinto.
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Sporting Clube de Portugal have parted company with coach Ricardo Sá Pinto and installed reserve team coach Oceano Cruz in an interim basis.
The announcement came 24 hours after their shock 3-0 defeat at Videoton FC in the UEFA Europa League, a result that made the Lisbon club bottom of Group G with just a point from two games. Sá Pinto's charges have also made a poor start to their Liga campaign, a return of one win in five matches leaving them seventh going into Sunday's meeting with FC Porto.
Former Sporting and Portugal midfielder Oceano, 50, will lead them at the Estádio do Dragão after temporarily being handed the reins. Portugal Under-21 boss between 2009 and 2010, he has since acted as assistant at Sporting and UD Leiria having switched to coaching from a role in television punditry.
His former team-mate Sá Pinto departs after a mixed eight-month spell at the helm having replaced Domingos Paciência in February. He guided Sporting through to the last four in the UEFA Europa League and the Portuguese Cup final, where despite surprisingly losing 1-0 to A. Académica de Coimbra, he signed a new deal in May. Sporting have invited him to stay at the club in another, as yet undefined, role.
