Jorge Santos (Gazela)

Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Jorge Santos (Gazela) for the termination of the player’s contract.

Sporting SAD wishes Gazela the best of personal and professional success.

Wilson Eduardo

Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Sporting Clube de Braga, Futebol, SAD for the transfer of the player Wilson Eduardo, with Sporting SAD remaining with 45% of the player’s economic rights

Sporting SAD wishes Wilson Eduardo the best of personal and professional success.

Ramy Rabia

Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Al-Ahly Cairo for the transfer of the player Ramy Rabia for a fee of 750,000.00€, with Sporting SAD also receiving 15% of a future transfer

Sporting SAD wishes Rabia the best of personal and professional success.

Diego Rubio

Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol for the transfer of the player Diego Rubio, with Sporting SAD remaining with 70% of the player’s economic rights

Sporting SAD wishes Diego Rubio the best of personal and professional success.

Filipe Chaby

Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Clube de Futebol União da Madeira SAD for the loan of the player Filipe Chaby until the end of the current season.

Sporting SAD wishes Filipe Chaby the best of personal and professional success.

Jorge Jesus on his side's win against Académica

Jorge Jesus proved satisfied with his side’s 3-1 win over Académica this Sunday, particularly after a difficult mid-week Champions League in Moscow.

“This game, like the one against Paços de Ferreira, was one that I thought would be dangerous because it was after a Champions League match in the middle of the week. Competitions like that always take a bit out of the players physically and psychologically, but we got over that hurdle and are still in in the top places in the league, which is important for me at the start of the season”, opened the Alvalade coach, adding: “It could have been an easier game, but once again the referee put our opponent back in the game with a penalty decision. We won the three points and that is all that matters. In this league no points are easy to win.”

Slimani was brought down in the area for what looked to be a clear penalty, but the afternoon’s referee, Bruno Esteves, waved away the appeals: “It is nothing to do with us complaining about persecution. What we are taking about are decisions which have been taken by referees which have gone against Sporting. I believe it isn’t intentional, but we still feel it. It is happening in almost every game, but it isn’t persecution.”

Sporting’s third goal of the evening was scored by Aquilani from the 12-yard spot, after Adrien had missed a penalty of his own shortly before. “We have several players who can score penalties and I pick who takes them. Adrien knows he is the priority, followed by Aquilani, Slimani and Teo, but with the pressure off missing, it was best that Aquilani took that one”, finished Jesus, commenting on the Italian being given the call up to the penalty spot instead of Adrien.

Ricardo Esgaio on Sporting's 3-1 win in Coimbra

Ricardo Esgaio made his 2015/16 I Liga debut this weekend, in Sporting’s 3-1 win over Académica.

“We started really strong and achieved our objective of getting the three points. We came into this after two hard results, but we did well today”, affirmed the young wing-back at the final whistle, adding: “We have to keep working hard the team. Everyone knows what Sporting has been going through right now, but we have to keep working hard.”

Assistant coach Raul José also met with the press, stepped in for Jorge Jesus after the Sporting coach was sent off just before half-time: “We started strong and quickly went two goals ahead, but the referee got Académica back into the game and we had to take a different approach in the second-half. It was an intense game, but the result could have been even more one-sided if it wasn’t for the penalty.”

Sporting beat Académica to climb into second

Strikes from Carlos Mané, Slimani and Aquilani gave Sporting a well-earned 3-1 win over Académica this Sunday evening moving Sporting up into second place in I Liga.

The game couldn’t have started better for Jorge Jesus’ side, when Carlos Mané escaped his marker after six minutes after being picked out by Adrien and calmly slotted past Lee. As expected, Sporting had possession completely under control and began steadily pegging Académica back into their defensive third. Another two opportunities to extend the lead came in the first quarter of an hour, first when Carrillo broke away down the right to set up a João Mário shot that the home keeper saved, before Jefferson scrapped paint off the post with a stringing effort from range.

A deserved second came in the 24th minute, when Carrillo again drove down the wing and put a ball across the middle for Slimani to smartly chip the Académica keeper and put Sporting two goals up.

With Sporting completely dominating the action, the hosts were given a lifeline three minutes after the half-hour mark when the referee signalled for a penalty against Adrien on Leandro Silva that Rabiola converted on. However, the goal did little to take the wind out of the Sporting sails and Ricardo Esgaio tested Lee in immediate response after taking advantage of a loose ball in the 18-yard box. The Académia keeper pulled off a half complete save, but Teo Gutiérrez was unable to keep the rebound on target. Just before the break Slimani was clearly brought crashing to the ground by João Real in the area, but the afternoon’s referee waved away a clear penalty appeal to start a sequence of events that saw Jorge Jesus sent off.

The second-half got underway with Sporting again testing their luck in attack, with Jefferson firing just high of the target from a free-kick. A third goal looked likely and João Mário could have obliged, but the Portuguese midfielder fired wired. Teo did everything right to put Sporting 3-1 ahead, but Lee made a brilliant stop to keep the difference down to just a single strike.

A battle for possession in midfield followed, but Académica’s spirited resistance finally broke in the 69th minute when Fernando Alexandre handballed for a penalty. Up stepped Adrien, but his usually calculated attempt was denied by the woodwork. Slimani was then pulled back by Fernando Alexande in the 18-yard box, this time with Aquilani called on to convert and secure the two-goal cushion.

Sporting will next be in action on the 13th of September, visiting Vila do Conde to take on Rio Ave.

Sporting B coach with the press after Portimonense draw

“Portimonense were better than us in the first-half”, conceded João de Deus in a post-match press conference this Sunday, after his side’s 1-1 draw in II Liga matchday five.

“We were apathetic at the start and we we let them play. The second-half was different. We changed what we had to and scoring early helped. We could have won, if it wasn’t for the sending off. It is this kind of match that helps the lads to grow. We wanted to win, but the sending off changed everything and we had to hold out”, said the Sporting B coach, adding: “Portimonense are a strong side who can move the ball around well. We played in midweek as well and they didn’t, which made a difference in the first-half, but we fought back.”

Deus' side held to draw on II Liga matchday five

Sporting B were held to a 1-1 draw at the Sporting Academy by the visiting Portimonense this Sunday afternoon, on II Liga matchday five.

The opening stages were end to end stuff, before Matheus had the first real chance of the afternoon, but his fourth minute shot was saved by Ricardo Ferreira. The opportunity proved to be the warning shot for what was long spells of dominating possession for the team from Alvalade, with Portimonense very rarely getting forward. However, the visitors were having a better time of it in defence, smothering most of Sporting B’s efforts to pull ahead while still in the build-up.

Despite Sporting B’s dominance, it was actually the side from the Algarve who took the led courtesy of a free-kick driven in by Mamadu in the 25th minute. It didn’t take João de Deus long to react and on 36 minutes the Sporting B coach made his first change, bringing off Dramé for Francisco Geraldes and pushing Matheus out to the left. The alteration did just the trick and Sporting B again took a grip of proceedings, but a goal was proving hard to come by and Portimonense took a 1-0 lead in at half-time.

With the wind in the favour, Sporting B come out stronger after the break and soon levelled, with Matheus Pereira finishing off a move instigated by Rubio and Geraldes. On 54 minutes Bruno Paulista could have had his first goal in Sporting shirt, but the newly arrived signing’s free-kick was parried over for a corner.

Sporting B were reduced to 10 men in the 72nd minute, when Bruno Paulista was shown a second yellow card that really didn’t do justice to the Brazilian’s solid performance. To rebalance his side, João de Deus brought off Diego Rubio for Ryan Gauld, as time played out to split the points at the final whistle.

Sporting B-Portimonense, 1-1
CDG Sporting Academy (Alcochete)
Referee: João Bento (Santarém)
Assistant referees: Nuno Henrique Ferreira and Samuel Dionísio

Sporting B: Pedro Silva; Mauro Riquicho (captain), Sambinha, Domingos Duarte, Seejou King; Fokobo, Bruno Paulista, Matheus Pereira; Podence, Dramé and Diego Rubio
Coach: João de Deus
Substitutions: Dramé for Francisco Geraldes (36’); Podence for Sacko (65’); Diego Rubio for Ryan Gauld (72’)
Goal: Matheus Pereira (47’)
Cards: Yellow, Bruno Paulista (25’ and 72’). Red, Bruno Paulista (72’)

Portimonense: Ricardo Ferreira; Ricardo Pessoa (captain), Ivo Nicolau, Jadson, Mamadu; Fidelis Irhene, Dener, Ewerton, André Carvalhas; Fabrício and Pires
Coach: José Augusto
Substitutions: Dener for Buba (57’); André Carvalhas for Ryuki (73); Fidelis Irhene for Fidelis (81’)
Goal: Mamadu (25’)
Cards: Yellow, André Carvalhas (20’), Fidelis Irhene (53’), Pires (59’), Jadson (60’) and Ivo Nicolau (70’)