The coach looks forward to the Friday fixture against CF Estrela da Amadora

After the international break, Sporting Clube de Portugal are back in action on Friday, to face Estrela da Amadora on Liga Portugal Matchday 27.

Coach Rúben Amorim held a press conference on Thursday and assured journalists that the break “enabled us to recover some players, to rest up, whilst others went away with their national teams.”

“[Gonçalo] Inácio played 90 minutes in the last game and, due to the recovery period and the injury to his hamstring he had recently, we may have to take precautions there. The rest of the squad are ready for the game. We had a mishap with Sebastián Coates, but he has recovered, Marcus Edwards has already done more or less two days of training, and at the last minute we have Francisco Trincão back from injury. At this moment we have to take everyone, because we know it will be a difficult game."

He also confirmed that Pedro Gonçalves will miss out due to injury, saying that "We are going to do our best so that he can be with us next week."

Regarding coach Sérgio Vieira's CF Estrela da Amadora, currently 13th in the table with 26 points, Amorim highlighted that they are a team with “very fast players up front” and recalled the “problems” experienced in the first meeting this season, in Alvalade.

“I think we will improve. We have to be cautious and as strong as we were, for example, against Moreirense FC with stopping the transitions. We need to be very focused. On set pieces there is a specific player from CF Estrela da Amadora who, when he is playing, makes this aspect even more important."

“We have to get back to the mentality of knowing that we can't drop points, we have to win, we know that the season is coming to an end. We are ready for the game," he stressed.

With a game in hand, Sporting CP are the outright leaders with 65 points, one ahead of SL Benfica. They play their local rivals in consecutive derbies, beginning in the Taca de Portugal semifinals on Tuesday.

Before next weekend's league derby, the squad have a total of six players one yellow card away from serving a suspension: Morten Hjulmand, Ousmane Diomande, Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards, Luís Neto and Ricardo Esgaio. Despite this, Amorim highlighted that the “only squad management that will be done is tactical and physical, as always."

“It's not because there are two derbies coming up, but because there are many players who could be left out of the next game and we don't know which will be the most important game of the season. We have to play every game at 100%," he highlighted, before reinforcing that transfer rumours are not affecting his players.

“Right now, everything is focused on the league. We really want to win trophies and we know the importance of these upcoming games. Anything can happen until the end of the season. We experienced this with our last title, and when we least expected it we dropped six points in four games. I think this game with CF Estrela da Amadora is even more important. It’s about preparing for a different kind of game."

“It was harder to get the message across last year when we were in fourth place. In those stages of the season it is more difficult to make the players believe in the idea and the project, and they always have done. That's not the case this time. We are nine games away from being champions at a club that doesn't win that many titles in a row, so the message is always there."

The coach reacts to the 1-3 win over BSC Young Boys

After the 1-3 home win against Swiss side BSC Young Boys, which put Sporting Clube de Portugal in a positive position in the playoff to reach the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, coach Rúben Amorim expressed his happiness with the performance of his players, only regretting the fact that the team did not score more goals.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, with a lot of duels and against players strong in one-on-ones close to the area. We started very well, but we always missed the final pass and that is something we have to improve. Antonio [Adán] kept us in it with two great saves and there were a lot of transitions in the first half. We scored the first goal and then the second, but we can't concede to make it 1-2 on the very next move,” the coach began by saying at his press conference.

“We rectified some things at halftime, but what helped a lot was the third goal, because it broke BSC Young Boys down a little, gave us confidence and then we managed the scoreline until the end. We could and should have scored more goals, especially in the second half, as the tie is only halfway through and is very dangerous. The opposition had their chances, but they will be even more courageous in Alvalade to try to turn things around. We have to be prepared for that.”

The coach was then asked why he substituted Viktor Gyökeres in the 73rd minute, in a game in which the Swede was constantly found by his teammates and made numerous runs.

“I wasn't worried at all about his physical capacity, especially because he tracks back slower than the others and we balance that as a team. He came off to manage the game, and in the last 15 minutes there was going to be even more space. The way he looked at his number in amazement [at the time of his departure] is not the look of a player who is tired. Obviously he is very hungry and wants to score a lot of goals, but he will have a lot of games to do that.”

With this result, Sporting CP now have 11 victories in the last 12 games, in addition to 19 goals scored and only one conceded in their last four. But Amorim does not want to relax, and is focusing on Monday's game with Moreirense FC.

“As we won, we will go to  Moreira de Cónegos happy and all the players will feel important because they know they can play. This helps us to prepare for the next game, but now we have to study Moreirense FC and we will be prepared. We know we can't drop points in the league and sometimes the mind is more important than the body. As for the 19 goals scored and one conceded, these are numbers that can change from one moment to the next, as we can lose confidence by dropping points, so we want to maintain this winning streak. This game only helped us confirm that we are on the right path,” highlighted the coach.

In closing, Amorim also made a point of praising the enormous support of the thousands of Sportinguistas who were at the Wankdorf Stadium.

“We started hearing them from when we were at the hotel, it wasn’t even during the warmup. The players are confident and believe in what we are doing, but they also know that there is a way to go and we need their help. We are still only halfway through the tie,” he concluded.

The coach readies his side for a game against FC Famalicão

In Liga Portugal action, Sporting Clube de Portugal face FC Famalicão on Matchday 20 this Saturday. Coach Rúben Amorim talked about this, and a busy month of February, in his pre-match press conference.

“FC Famalicão are a team who always have talent. In these games, without much responsibility to win, they have the ability to keep the ball and create danger for any team. Their stadium is a different ground, where it is always very difficult."

FC Famalicão are currently eighth and have lost their last two matches. Although they are the joint-lowest scoring team, they have made defensive consistency count, with the joint-fifth best record of 23 goals conceded.

The team led by João Pedro Sousa have not won at home since Matchday 10 (3-1 against Gil Vicente FC), but Amorim talked up the talent present for FC Famalicão.
“If Puma or Chiquinho play, I think they can both play together. Or Puma [Rodríguez] can come inside because he is very fast and very physically strong. [Jhonder] Cádiz touches the ball more often, inside the area, and has a lot of headers, so we have to safeguard the crosses in. On the other hand, a large part of their routine on the left goes through [Francisco] Moura, who is suspended. All of this will come into play,” he detailed.

“They have the talent to beat Sporting CP, but we have to respond to that, because we are fighting for the title and we want to maintain our place at the top."

With Sporting CP about to start a gruelling month of February, featuring seven games in three different competitions (Liga Portugal, Taça de Portugal and the UEFA Europa League), Amorim highlighted that the coaching staff look, above all, at “the space between games, with the focus in general being on the next match."

“Our job was to tell the players, and they are fully aware of this, that everything that happened in the last game - the atmosphere, the pitch, the duels we won and the shots we had - will now have no bearing on this game. It will be completely different."

In Vila Nova de Famalicão, winter signing Koba Koindredi will be among the options to play, but Jeremiah St. Juste will be absent again through injury.

Afterwards, asked to assess Sporting CP's movements in the January transfer market, Amorim highlighted that the idea was to “prepare not only for the present, but above all the future,” both in terms of arrivals and departures.

He first explained that loanees Afonso Moreira and Dário Essugo “needed minutes to gain confidence and take the next step up,” before also addressing Rodrigo Ribeiro's transfer to Nottingham Forest FC.

“For one reason or another, he couldn't develop like others did in the first team. What I wish is the best of luck for Rodrigo, because he has a lot of talent. In a very competitive league, a lot is down to him and his coach.”

Regarding Koba's arrival, he described him as a reinforcement to “prepare and safeguard the future and anticipate things that we think could happen."

“We are not only buying the player he is now, but also what he can become, because in a few years we would have to pay a lot more for a player like him. We didn't get certain players who, perhaps, would be a better value now and a better reinforcement for the immediate future, but Koba is a player for now and very much thinking about what he can become."

"He has a lot of quality, but he still needs a lot of work. The important thing is to see that there is talent and, without a doubt, Rafa Pontelo and Koba are very talented players."
“We have depth in the squad and there are, at most, nine days left until Ousmane [Diomande] and [Hidemasa] Morita will return. I feel that the squad is on the right track and, without major injuries, we have the squad to compete in all competitions and give opportunities to all of our players," he guaranteed.

“The main thing is the league title, but we are not going to give up on the Europa League or the Taça de Portugal. The focus is on becoming champions. It also has a psychological impact on the fans and on the way we want to win consistently, and the impact of us getting into the Champions League. If we can win everything, then great. We will need a lot of luck, but you know that luck is not lacking sometimes.”

The coach reviews the derby against SL Benfica

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim was naturally disappointed with the defeat to SL Benfica, in a game in which they were always on top of their rivals - even though they played practically the entire second half with a numerical inferiority.

“This is part of football, but it is hard to swallow. Even with ten men, we didn't let SL Benfica create big chances and that was felt in the stadium. With 11 players on the pitch, there is no doubt who was the best team. Therefore, based on what we did, we deserved to win, but it didn't happen", the coach began by saying in his press conference.

"It's a more painful defeat because, although it wasn't a decisive game, it was an important game and we were three minutes away from having a six-point advantage -and now we have the same points. We were the better side, we ended up not winning and it was painful, but I'm already thinking about the break and the next game".

“I'm not saying we're better than anyone else, but today we were the better team and I think that was very obvious. We were very safe at all times of the game, even with one player less, while SL Benfica had a lot of difficulties creating dangerous situations. If we look at the moments of the game, everything went against us. It's very frustrating to play with a man down and it limits us a lot. It was not a good day for Inácio and for us, because we ended up losing, but we are fine and we will continue to be fine”, said Amorim, stressing: “We have to move on. We are tied on points, we have been in the title race for a long time, we have to correct what we didn't do so well and get better".

The coach's preview of the game against FC Arouca

Sporting Clube de Portugal host FC Arouca this Sunday, at 8:30 pm, on Liga Portugal Matchday 8.

Os Leões return home after their midweek defeat in the Europa League and Rúben Amorim is only thinking about a win, saying that whilst it is good to play right after a loss, he would have preferred to have had more time to prepare for this match.

"We enjoyed playing in Europe, but we could have had one more day to prepare for the game and we didn't get it. Nevertheless, the team are ready. The players are fresh because there was rotation during this time", he told the media.

"We know FC Arouca very well; We know that last year we didn't win any game against them and we want to change that this year.Daniel Ramos is a very experienced coach, he knows that as the game goes on it will create anxiety in everyone, so what we want is to start well and play well in the first and second half to win the game. They vary between 4 and 5 in defence, with the winger playing as the fifth man. We have trained for that in the time we had, we focused a lot on what we need to be very good at, we worked on that and I think that tomorrow we will have a good game".

"We have to be hungry, we want to win and we must be very calm in the face of everything that happens. We know that FC Arouca want to keep it 0-0, make transitions, create one or two opportunities and create a bad atmosphere in our stadium. What we have to do is have a lot of confidence, stay calm, be well organised and not let them make too many transitions", said the coach, denying that the defeat against Atalanta BC will affect his Sporting CP side.

"What's done is done. We need to always be optimistic. I believe we can be champions, win trophies and go through in Europe. We've already proven that many times. Tomorrow we have another game, what we want is to stay in first place and that's what we're going to play for".

Amorim also spoke about Jeremiah St. Juste, saying that the central defender "is getting closer and closer" to his return, and commented on the importance of Sebastián Coates.

"For me, as a coach , what he represents is an example in the way he has always played and how he helps his teammates, but I think he can still get better as a player and as a captain, and when I look at him I want him to do more. He is very important for us and you see that the team feel more confident with him on the pitch".

The coach looks back on the Europa League loss to Atalanta BC

After the defeat against Atalanta BC in Group D of the UEFA Europa League, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim gave a press conference to provide his analysis of the match.

"The word 'if' doesn't count in football. A draw was the fairest option, but it didn't happen. In the first half we had a lot of difficulties; we didn't have the quality with the ball that we should have and when we didn't have it we had more problems," he acknowledged, before talking about a second half that he considered "completely different".

"It was mainly because we had the ball, because tactically we did the same things. We tried our best, Geny [Catamo] and Marcus [Edwards] did well in attacking the opposition and that changed the game a little. It was enough to have more time in control of the game and we were better then".

"There were two distinct halves and we didn't manage to score two goals in 'our' half, which for me made the difference in the game. We demonstrated, from the first minute of the second half, that we wanted to chase the win. In the first half we also wanted to, but we didn't achieve it because Atalanta BC were the better side. The urgency was always there, but sometimes we didn't get what we wanted. It's part of football", he summarised.

Once again, Amorim underlined that "in case of doubt, the domestic league is the priority," recalling the club's European experience last season.  “In Europe we were very good and in the league we made it easier for the opposition. We also have to learn from our mistakes".

"No one is more upset about losing tonight than the coach and the players, as we haven't lost in I don't know how long. We have to face it head on. I know that after last season we have to win and play well, I know that and there will be zero tolerance, but we do the maths only at the end. We are top of the league and nothing is lost in the Europa League. I wouldn't say that first place in the group was at risk. We have to win our games and whoever gets more points will go through. We're going to do our best to achieve that".

When asked about replacing Morten Hjulmand at halftime, Amorim explained that the Danish international midfielder "comes from a different team and a different league" and highlighted that now, at Sporting CP, he is "making the transformation to go and look for opponents further away than he's used to doing".

He also talked about Paulinho's starting in place of Marcus Edwards: "We thought they were going to be a very physical team, and we weren't going to have Sebastián Coates on set pieces and Paulinho was in great form. We made the decision looking at the characteristics of the opposition, but now it's easy to say that. Marcus is in great form because the coach insisted on him even after he had some poor games".

The Sporting CP coach gives his thoughts before the meeting with Tottenham Hotspur FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal face Tottenham Hotspur FC in London on Matchday 5 of Group D of the UEFA Champions League this Wednesday.

On the eve of the contest, coach Rúben Amorim stated that the team have to win the game, recalling the first duel between the two teams which ended with a 2-0 victory in Alvalade.

"The two teams had a lot of respect for each other in the first game and they already know each other better, despite Tottenham Hotspur having changed their formation due to injuries up front. We will have to see how we deal with them, with three midfielders and three forwards. The big difference is that tomorrow's result is more decisive," he began by saying in the pre-match press conference.

Regarding his squad, Amorim stated that "Sebastián Coates will be able to play from the beginning. Jeremiah St. Juste will be on the bench, but as always we will pay special attention to him in terms of playing time, because he didn't have a preseason. We have to keep him healthy at least until the World Cup, so he can have his preseason then."

Asked if Paulinho, who scored in the first game against Spurs, could start the match, he responded that: “In our team there are no starters, but there is a group of players who usually start the game. Whether Pedro Gonçalves were available or not, Paulinho would always be an option to come in. He is growing after suffering an injury and we have to make a natural rotation. But I'm not going to reveal whether he's going to play or not."

There was also, inevitably, interest in English forward Marcus Edwards, who has history at Tottenham Hotspur.

"He is a player with a lot of talent. A former coach of his said that he had something Messi-like about him. He went to a good club in Portugal, he developed, he reached a big club, he is growing a lot and playing in the Champions League, and he is mature. The talent is there, but he can improve a lot. He is happy at our club and I wish him a very bright future," he concluded.

The coach looks ahead to O Clássico against FC Porto

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim held a pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, previewing the first edition of 'O Clássico' this season against FC Porto. The Saturday 8:30pm kickoff at the Estádio do Dragão is expected to be a tough game, the coach says, but the focus is on taking all three points back to Lisbon.

“This week was strange and different for reasons that we all know, but we have reorganised ourselves, started to focus on the game and prepared for it in the best way possible. We know the importance of this game, because we have already had a draw this season and we are going to play at the home of the champions, but we had the normal preparation required for a club that want to win at every ground. In that aspect, it was a normal week," he said.

“FC Porto have many strengths. They are a team who are scoring a lot of goals, conceding few and are very competent in all aspects of the game, especially when they win the ball. We know what we're going to encounter and that we're going to be playing in a full stadium, but we like these types of challenges."

With a draw and a victory from the first two matchdays, Sporting CP are looking for three more points for their tally. Amorim said that he is not worried about the points gap compared to direct rivals, because he believes his side will get the win.

"It doesn't worry me at all. We know from the beginning that life as a coach is like this: When you win and when you lose, we are always under pressure. We will see. Our idea is to win and the idea is to get ahead of FC Porto and catch the top sides. If that doesn't happen, we'll be going for the win in the next game”.

The coach will be without Paulinho, who remains injured, but Sporting CP will also now be without Matheus Nunes, who has left the club.

“I will not say who will play in his place. Of course, that doesn't change much in terms of FC Porto's approach, but we'll keep the characteristics of the player who will play in Matheus Nunes' role for game time. We have several players who can play there: Pote, Morita and Mateus Fernandes. We have an idea: Someone will play there and will be prepared to help the team win the game”, said coach Leonino.

As for the departure of Matheus Nunes and possible movements in the transfer market, Amorim admitted that “it is difficult to sign at this time, because clubs don't want to lose their best players. We do not want players who are below our level at the moment. We have some players with potential that we have already identified and we might speed up their signing, but for now I have no idea and I'm trusting in those who are here already."

“The offer for Nunes was an attractive proposal and it is a great comfort for the club in financial terms, for all departments and for everything, and we will find solutions for his departure."

Asked if Mateus Fernandes could be the natural replacement, Amorim commented: “I don't know, it's still early. It would be a mistake to try to find another Matheus Nunes. We're going to look at the players. Mateus Fernandes is a player in our project and we believe in him a lot. We have to be careful not to push players beyond the stages they have to go through. He is still young, and Matheus Nunes was older when he moved up. There are different situations and we will see who will adapt there. There are also other players from the B team who can move up. What we want is for them to have competition among themselves."

The Sporting CP coach also spoke of the reintegration of Jovane Cabral, saying that “it was a matter of clarifying the situation with him."

"We were left with one less player and I always look at which players we have. I decided to talk with Jovane. I understood his idea, he understood mine and he is another player to help us. It's better to go get the players we have here to make up for some absences."

An assessment from the coach of the win over CD Santa Clara and the season itself

Rúben Amorim spoke after the 4-0 win over CD Santa Clara (4-0) that rounded off the Liga Portugal season, and reflected on a campaign which ended with the same number of points (85) as the previous year.

“We were more of a team than last year, and there was less suffering in our games. We scored more goals and also conceded more, but we didn't deserve that - and I say that because there were one or two shots that came off deflections. Even so, I think we defended better, we had more of the ball and that's why we didn't let our opponents have as many opportunities," he said.

"What I take away is that we were in the fight for all the trophies in Portugal. We won two, we missed out on another one and we were in the fight for the league title until the end. We achieved 85 points, but there were small details in a short time that made the difference and could have given us six more points. Even with the fans back at the stadiums and with the Champions League, we scored the same points as last season."

“A new season will start soon and we will begin it with the same ambition."

“Sporting CP have a history of fighting for trophies, but there were important moments in the history of the club that made life very difficult. Many years were lost, but fighting for silverware is normal in Sporting CP's history. When I arrived, I think it was the year in which Sporting CP had suffered the most defeats, and now we are fighting for the title, going to finals, going to the Champions League and reaching the Last 16. We are taking Sporting CP where the club belongs."

 Amorim also spoke of the support of the Sportinguistas, who gave a standing ovation at the end of the game.

 “The fans have the highest level of demand, but they also understand that we have very difficult moments; and even in those, they supported us. That doesn't show a lack of demand, but rather intelligence. They know that it won't help if they're against the team. They should whistle us when they are unhappy, but at times there is nothing that helps more than the support of the fans.”

“Nobody is happy because we didn't win the league, but the fans see that the team give everything. There are three clubs who can be champions and all three have the obligation to fight for that title, but there is only one top spot and there are two that will fall by the wayside," he explained.

"The fans don't forget the recent past, when the club was not in the fight for these honours, but now we are in there, we want to win and, therefore, in the end they support a team that gave everything and failed. I think that reveals a lot of intelligence and not a lack of demand, because we have a lot of that."

Finally, Amorim revealed how he will spend the holidays.

 “This year I feel much more tired, perhaps also because we didn't win. I'm going to rest, but I think I'm going to rest for three days and then I'll miss this already (laughs). I'm going to enjoy myself and fill my days with family time, and annoy Hugo Viana to try to control everything because I'm quite annoying like that!"