The club offer condolences to friends and family of the club legend

Sporting Clube de Portugal mourn the loss of Manuel Fernandes, the club's former player, coach and director, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 73.

Fernandes arrived at the club in 1975 from CUF and quickly established himself as a very important player. A natural goalscorer, over the more than ten years he played for Sporting CP, he became the idol to a generation and one of the most important figures in the club's history.

He played more than 400 games for the club and scored more than 250 goals, winning two league titles (1979/1980 and 1981/1982), two Taça de Portugal (1977/1978 and 1981/1982) and a Supertaça (1982 ).

He later returned to Sporting CP as a coach: First as an assistant and, in 2000/01, head coach, winning the Supertaça. He was also a director, in charge of the B team and, in a second spell, the scouting department.

In the final years of his life, he worked as a commentator on Sporting TV and as an ambassador for Sporting CP.

The club extend our deepest condolences and express our gratitude for Fernandes' years of dedication.