Leonel Pontes could replace Marcel Keizer until the end of the season
Training betting, club knowledge and playing style are assets in favor of the U23 coach.
The ‘reign’ of Marcel Keizer as coach of Sporting, which lasted less than a year, came to an end on Tuesday, winning the Portuguese Cup and the League Cup. Leonel Pontes, who had so far commanded the under-23 team, is the solution for the immediate … and could be for the future.
According to the newspaper The Game, Frederico Varandas is fond of the work of the 47-year-old, so he is currently considering keeping him at the helm of the senior team until the end of this season.
The fact that he has joined the Alvalade club at various levels – under-19, under-23, team B and even the first team when he was Paulo Bento’s assistant – is one of the main assets he plays in favor of the Madeiran.
Their offensive style of play at the service of the under-23 team – five wins in five games, in which the lions scored 19 goals – and the focus on youth also weighs on the decision of the Sporting president.
For now, Leonel Pontes has just over a week to prepare for Boavista’s trip to the ground, where he will have his first official game in charge of the first team. And a few days later, he will have a trip to the Netherlands to play PSV on the opening day of the Europa League group stage.
