Legendary scout who discovered Ronaldo and Figo dies | OneFootball

Sporting CP have announced the death of legendary scout Aurélio Pereira who unearthed some of Portuguese football's gems.

Pereira died at the age of 77, six years after retiring from what was a 47-year career, of which 45 years were spent in the service of Lisbon-based giants Sporting.

The scout was one of the major drivers of youth football in Portugal and particularly at Sporting, being considered a key figure in the creation of the Alcochete Academy – today named in honour of one of the stars he discovered: Cristiano Ronaldo.

He is also credited with discovering another Ballon d'Or winner, Luís Figo, as well as other major names in Portuguese football, including 10 of the winners of Euro 2016 squad, which led to that side being nicknamed Os Aurélios in Portugal.

"Sporting Clube de Portugal expresses its sorrow at the death of Aurélio da Silva Pereira, the unmistakable Senhor Formação, club member 3,226-0, who passed away this Tuesday at the age of 77.

"Born on October 1, 1947, he joined Sporting CP early on to play football and later, after moving to Clube Futebol Benfica* where he became a coach, he returned to the Club to coach the youth teams for about 20 years.

"In 1988, he created and began to lead the Recruitment and Development Department and the history from there is well known and recognised: he found many of the greatest national talents and brought them to Sporting CP, where they grew and thrived, later moving on to the great stages of world football.

"From Paulo Futre to Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as more recent talents, Aurélio Pereira is largely responsible for the careers of several of the national football figures over the last 40 years.

"He was a master in his field during his lifetime and a consensus figure for everyone, always recognized by his Sporting CP: he received two Stromp Awards and a Golden Lion and, in 2012, the Club named the main pitch/stadium of the Sporting Academy after him.

"In 2016, he saw the Portuguese National Team win the European Championship in France with the contribution of 10 players he discovered, which earned the epithet 'Os Aurélios'.

"In 2017, he received the Medal of Sporting Merit from the City of Lisbon and, in 2018, UEFA honoured him with the Order of Merit, an award for his unparalleled contribution to the development of Portuguese and European football.

"He will always 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.

"To his family and friends, Sporting CP extends its deepest condolences, not failing to praise and thank the years of effort, dedication, devotion, and glory with the Lion on his chest."

*not to be confused with rivals SL Benfica