The coach looks at Saturday's league game

Sporting Clube de Portugal visit FC Arouca this Saturday at 6pm, on Liga Portugal Matchday  19. At the end of a week of strong emotions for the team, coach Rui Borges stressed the importance of 'changing the mindset' for the match, which may be played in snowy conditions.

Keeping their feet firmly on the ground
"It's a different context, a different demand, the opposition are different and require other things from us. It's about changing that mindset to fit the difficulties of the game in Arouca. In the UEFA Champions League we only took three points, although it's true that it was against a great side. But Liga Portugal is our Champions League and this will be a game with great demand.

With the bad weather, we will have to understand what the game will require, the state of the pitch, whether it will be stormy or not. We have to have a great capacity for adaptation, but champions are like that: they have to win regardless of the circumstances."

Jeremiah St. Juste's departure
"I wish him the best of luck in the future. He was an important player here."

The game against FC Arouca
"I expect a difficult game. We'll have to see, closer to the game, what the weather conditions will be like. They have a very strong idea about their play, they don't change, their coach is faithful to that and, in my opinion, he does a very good job. Vasco Seabra always has his teams well-organised. Despite being a team that concede many goals, they haven't conceded in three games and that dictates their growth. They are in a better phase than before. We have to be focused, and it will be a very difficult game."

Souleymane Faye being an option
"We'll see if it makes sense to include him in the starting lineup now. We don't know if it's possible or not."

Possible returns of Pedro Gonçalves and Ousmane Diomande
"They have already trained with the team. We will have to make a decision."

The strain of UEFA Champions League participation
"Of course, playing every three days in the league puts a strain on us. We've had some setbacks in terms of injuries, but the players are returning and making the group stronger, more compact, and capable of responding. We want to have everyone available and, with that availability, remain competitive in whatever competition we're in.

We want to win. If we win in Bilbao and finish in the top eight, that takes two games off our schedule, and that helps us, the coaches, to get the team training 'normally'. With a more capable and available group, we will respond in any game."

Luis Suárez’s season
"June was when I slept best, I was on vacation and I had won the league (laughs). It's part of football. A great coach left, another one came in. It's part of our job to find solutions and value them. We've been succeeding.

It's a great job by everyone, from the structure and the scouting, to find these players that we identify with Sporting CP so that we can continue to respond with trophies and quality play."

Preparing for adverse weather conditions
"We still haven't managed to train in the snow (laughs). Today, during training, it rained torrentially, with cold rain, and the guys immediately froze, asking to end the session. This difficulty will exist for everyone, but ambition and the desire to win must be above everything else. That's the responsibility we have: to win.

The players, better than anyone, know this: With snow or without snow, with rain or without rain. And they have this team spirit and adapt well to the demands and the strategy. I believe they are prepared for this demand, with snow, an orange ball, a yellow ball, whatever."

The start of the second half of the season
"Of course I believe in the three-peat, otherwise we would already be sending congratulations to the first-placed team. I'll say what I've already said: we're having a great season in terms of points, goals scored, and goals conceded. Whoever is first had an extraordinary first half of the season, and that increases the pressure as well. We have to do better, find a way for everyone to surpass ourselves, and that's our daily objective: to be extraordinary. That's what we really want, to be champions.

Last year we dropped nine points, and the same thing could happen this year. The entire second half of the season is still to come, and we have to focus on what we control: our games. Everyone has been very good, but we can be better. We have to create this demand in ourselves every day, and that's what I try to do with my coaching staff and my players.”

Return of Morten Hjulmand
"I'll complain more about having everyone than about not having them (laughs). Morten is our leader, our captain, an example for everyone. He manages to give the team the right energy and dynamics and is extremely important. He's in extraordinary form; in my opinion he's better than ever, and because of the significance he has for the group, in addition to his quality, I'm happy to have him available.

João Simões and Morita both played great in his absence. It's good, it's a sign that everyone is connected and looking for their opportunities. Everyone has had opportunities and has responded well. They know that at any moment they can be starters or substitutes, but the coaching staff are confident that everyone is an important player."

The transfer market
"I hope no one leaves. I'll be happy with that. Otherwise, it's about focusing on what we have. I'm not thinking about the transfer market.  Two players have arrived for the same position, two different wingers who offer different solutions than what we already had in the group, from a current perspective and, mainly, from a future perspective.

They will be very valuable players for us. I'm happy to have them both. They are still trying to understand the team, the demands of the club they came to, but they are happy and motivated to help.”

Medical report
"I believe Nuno Santos could start training with the group fully next week. I'll be very happy if that happens. With Fotis Ioannidis it’s very much about the day-to-day work, understanding how we can take a step forward. I don't have a defined return date for him, but, as a coach, I hope he will be available for the CD Nacional game scheduled for January 31st."

Fear of losing Luis Suárez
"I believe that he will be at the club for many years. In terms of him finishing the season here, 100% yes. It doesn't keep me up at night, but in football, obviously, something unexpected can happen. If something extraordinary happens and we can't keep Luis or any other player, that's how it is, we'll find another solution. If one player isn't here, another will be.

This is Sporting CP. We will always have great players, great coaches, and the club will continue to win, no matter who's here. Sporting CP is a collective, and with me, at least, it will always be that way. Luis is a fantastic player, he's having a great season, but nobody is irreplaceable. They all feel they are important to the coach, regardless of whether they play 10 or 90 minutes, and that's why I say I'll have more headaches with all the players than with players leaving."