When Sporting Lisbon's head coach Rui Borges glances at his wrist during Friday's heated Dérbi de Lisboa against Benfica, he won't be checking a luxury timepiece. His gaze will fall on a humble, black €20 Casio watch, a cherished lucky charm from his amateur playing days that has become a symbol of his remarkable and superstitious journey to the top of Portuguese football.
From Mirandela to the Big Stage: A Coach Forged in Humility
The 44-year-old Portuguese manager has expertly steadied the ship at Sporting following the turbulent departure of the highly-rated Ruben Amorim to Manchester United. Tasked with picking up the pieces, Borges has not only maintained the club's success but is quietly building an impressive reputation of his own. Sporting are currently chasing a third consecutive Primeira Liga title, a feat they haven't achieved since the 1950s, and are vying for automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout stages.
His coaching career began in the obscurity of the Portuguese fourth tier with his hometown club, Mirandela. Despite a modest playing career that peaked in the second division, Borges has made a seismic impact from the dugout. In his debut season, he secured a domestic double, winning both the league and the Taça de Portugal. This campaign, Sporting sit second, just three points behind leaders Porto and three ahead of their fierce rivals Benfica.
Superstition and Success: The Unbreakable Routine
Borges's success is intertwined with a deeply superstitious nature, epitomised by the Casio watch he wears without fail for every match. The manufacturer even sent him upgraded models this season, but he remains loyal to the original bought in Mirandela. This superstition extends to his routines; after a key victory last season, he insisted on returning to the same restaurant and sitting at the exact same table. His players even teased him for his unwavering faith in a particular gilet, which he believed would help them become champions. His conviction proved right as Sporting pipped Benfica to the title, securing their 21st league crown and first back-to-back wins since 1954.
The club has a history of promoting promising coaches like Marco Silva and Ruben Amorim. When the internal appointment of João Pereira lasted only six weeks last Christmas, Sporting moved swiftly for Borges, who was impressing at Vitória de Guimarães. They triggered his £3.5 million release clause, and since taking charge, he has suffered just one league defeat, away to Porto in August, with a Champions League loss at Napoli in October being another rare setback.
Building Momentum Ahead of Crucial Clashes
The upcoming days are pivotal for Borges's project. The trip to Benfica's Estádio da Luz is a direct title showdown, serving as a warm-up for an equally daunting trip to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday. Despite an early-season headache with Viktor Gyokeres's protracted exit, Borges has built the division's most potent attack. New signing Luis Suarez, the Colombian striker brought in from Almeria, has hit the ground running with nine goals in his first 12 matches.
Carlos Correira, the former Mirandela president who gave Borges his first coaching role, speaks of a born leader. "He was someone who could unite people," Correira says. "He is very studious, truly loves football, and spends hours working to become better. He is very humble and has not forgotten his roots." Borges, whose father played in Portugal's top flight, credits his late grandfather, a shoemaker, as a major influence and has a tattoo in his memory.
Before his Sporting breakthrough, Borges proved his mettle by guiding Moreirense to a superb sixth-place finish upon their top-flight return. Gonçalo Franco, now at Swansea, recalls, "He brought a very positive energy... His ideas were all very clear so that we could all learn and evolve. We were all rowing in the same direction." As Borges leads his team into the Lisbon derby and beyond, that same sense of unified purpose, guided by a €20 watch and unwavering belief, could yet make more history for Sporting.
