The coach is ready for a tactical encounter on Liga NOS Matchday 11

Sporting Clube de Portugal head to the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras this Sunday, to face Belenenses SAD, on Matchday 11 of the Liga NOS season. In his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, coach Rúben Amorim indicated that his side maintain the same focus as always for the contest.

"It was a normal week, with a little bit later of a start than usual due to the date. It has been such an atypical year that nothing ever changes our thinking," he told the media on Boxing Day.

"What we always want is to win our games and play well. We won our last match, against SC Farense; we didn't have the best game, but we did more than enough to win. We learned from it. That reinforced the idea that all games are difficult and that we are taking things game by game."

As for Belenenses SAD, Amorim says that the similarities between the two sides make it a tactical encounter.

"They are a team who concede few goals. They don't score as many as we do, but they will be prepared for a Sporting CP team that is strong. We play similar systems and know their formation well."

Regarding the continued objectives for 2020/2021, Amorim underlined the idea he has had since the beginning of the season.

"What Sporting CP fans expect is that the team behave in the same way as they have been, which is giving their all. What I can promise is that we will do our best in every game and that the goal is to win them all. The game against SC Farense was proof that we have to think game by game. The players have little experience and all of our games are difficult. We want to beat Belenenses SAD and, if we do, we will remain in first place," added the coach.

"As for our tactics: The formation  always looks the same, but our way of playing changes. We change players here and there, and the way of playing changes completely as a result. Plata is playing in the same position as Pedro Porro and playing with one or the other is completely different for the opposition. The base has worked, but there are teams who defend very well and with many players. We won our last game due to belief and attitude."

There have been concerns about the potential risk of contagion with COVID-19 over Christmas in Portugal, but Amorim guaranteed that all necessary preventive work was carried out by the club.

"We have been very careful with the players. We alerted the players of the danger and the club did an excellent job. We prepared everything very well, but of course there are things that we cannot control. We had an outbreak here a few months ago. I was the only one on the coaching staff that caught it. The players know the rules and I think that, like all Portuguese people, they took extra care. I hope it is not necessary, but the club are prepared to contain any situation."

Belenenses SAD vs. Sporting CP is scheduled for 8pm local time on Sunday, December 27th, at the Estádio Nacional. Zouhair Feddal will be out of the match due to a knock, as will Jovane Cabral and Luiz Phellype as they recover from injury.

The Sporting CP coach was pleased by the cup performance by his side

Rúben Amorim reviewed the 2-0 win over CD Mafra in the Taça da Liga in his post-match press conference, praising the performance of some of the less frequently used members of his squad.

"I made life difficult for them, but they responded very well. Some did better than the others, but they all gave everything they had", he told the media.

"Everyone had positive points and should be congratulated, and in the future they will do even better," said the coach, emphasising that he was "satisfied with the result and the performance". "We played with some Junior players, and that comes with a price, but it's our idea. That means that the blame for the goalless first half is on the coach."

"The players weren't affected by the pressure; it's just a normal thing that happens when a lot of players who don't usually play together are in the same lineup. They have been training together and I thought they were prepared to play in a cup tie. The others played on Friday, and did very well, so I understood that it was time for them to get into the game and they gave an excellent response."

Amorim made clear that Sporting CP has "every possibility to win both cups". "We are ready to beat any team. In the league, we are taking things game-by-game", he said.

The Sporting CP coach hailed the attitude of his team

At the conclusion of Sporting CP's 2-1 win over Moreirense FC in Liga NOS, coach Rúben Amorim gave a post-match press conference to analyse the fixture.

"Sporting CP's attitude is always the same. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but we always try to find solutions to score goals. Teams also close up at the back. In the first half we had several opportunities in front of goal that we didn't take, be it missing the last pass or the final touch. The game got a bit difficult because of that. We conceded a goal against the run of play, but we reacted well and were convinced that we were going to score right away. The game was a little tough, but it ended up being a very fair result," he told the media.

"We are at the very beginning of the season and there is a long way ahead of us. We will play at a very difficult ground next week, and then we have the Taça de Portugal and the Taça da Liga. Those are three games that could completely change the season and the vision that people have of this team. We have a lot to improve, as we saw today, but we have already done something well. The fans can never complain about the attitude the team show, because it is the way we are."

Asked whether the absence of Europa League Group Stage is a benefit, Amorim explained that there are both positives and negatives.

"The important thing is to win our games. It is always so difficult and we want to win so much that we have to take advantage of every minute. We took the disappointment and all the criticism when we were eliminated from the Europa League. There is a good and a bad side. We make the most of every minute, because we know it's very important and our games are always very difficult."

As for in-form Pedro Gonçalves, scorer of the brace that decided the match and top marksman in Liga NOS with nine goals, Amorim asked the player to keep up his run next time out in Famalicão.

"Pedro Gonçalves is doing well and is reaping the rewards of the work from his teammates, who understand his movements well. He is in excellent form. He does not seem anxious when shooting and it seems that things are happening naturally. I hope that next week, against a club that he knows well, he can repeat that."

The Sporting CP coach responded to controversy in O Clássico

Following the 2-2 draw for Sporting CP against FC Porto, coach Rúben Amorim - who was sent off in the final moments of the first half - spoke in his post-match press conference, offering his thoughts on the game and criticising referee Luís Godinho's decisions.

The result
"It was clear that Sporting CP were the better team, besides for a few minutes in the first half. We should have won this game. We missed a few chances one-on-one with the goalkeeper. At times we had some clear spaces that we weren’t able to make the most of, and that’s just down to inexperience. We have a team of lions here. We drew against FC Porto, but we dropped two points."

His sending off
"There was a lot of ‘dual criteria.’ I accept the blame because I shouldn't have said what I said, but I hear the same things being said every week, and even shortly before I had heard worse from elsewhere. I was disgusted with the difference in criteria. I accept my punishment, but what I didn’t like was the double standard."

"My staff know what to do, so my sending off didn’t have any influence on the game."

The reversed penalty decision
"The referee had an influence on the result. For me, it is an obvious penalty. We have been unlucky with VAR. Last year, there was an incident in Moreira de Cónegos in which Sebastian Coates was pulled down and nothing was given. Now, a player is in the air with an opposition player’s arm on his back. For me, it's a penalty. Obviously I was annoyed because it was a big moment for the team. It was an important moment in the game."

Sérgio Conceição’s comments that Sporting CP should be happier with the draw
"It is better for everyone to look at the game itself, and not at what is said about it. I am very proud of my players. Congratulations to them. We missed out on two points, but I felt that the group were disappointed about that in the dressing room - which is a good sign."

Changes of position during the game
"It was planned. You could see by the result and the way we got into the FC Porto area that everyone knew what to do. We changed positions in training and the players were not lost. Quite the contrary."

The pressure of being a coach
"We have to win the next game, because we are at a club with the highest demands. I feel great pressure because that is how our profession is. I chose to coach Sporting CP and I have to be prepared for that."

The coach is expecting "a war - in a good sense" next season

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim is looking ahead to the 2020/2021 season, following an atypical campaign this term interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The coach, who took over in the dugout in March - just before the unscheduled break in the season -, is focused on what is to come in his first full year in charge.

"When we came here, our aim was to look to next season and improve our position in the league table. We only managed to maintain our position, so now we have to look towards next season. We have to keep moving forward and start a new chapter for the club", said Amorim after the final game of the year - the derby against SL Benfica.

The coach led Os Leões to a record of five wins, three draws and two defeats since his appointment, under difficult circumstances and a hectic run of fixtures in the final stage of the season. He is confident about the future, and ready for the challenge that lies ahead.

"If there is one thing that I am certain about, it’s that coming to Sporting CP was the best thing that I’ve done. I’m very happy at Sporting CP", he told journalists.

"Bring on the next season. I’m ready and I hope that the Sportinguistas are also ready for what will be a war - in a good sense. I’m highly motivated."

The first team are currently on a brief summer break, but will return to training on August 17th in preparation for the 2020/2021 season.

New coach appointed this Thursday

This Thursday Rúben Amorim was appointed as new head coach of Sporting Clube de Portugal. The former SC Braga coach, who already guided his first training session in the morning, guaranteed he is prepared to face this new phase in his sports career. 

“I am aware that this is a great challenge and I really believe in the Club. Even when you are not a part of it, everyone can see the club greatness. It is a huge pride to be in this house and defend these colors. I know what Sporting CP is, regardless of the moment. I believe in the Club and I hope they believe me. I am focused on work. I can try to convince Sporting CP fans who do not believe me, but in football results are everything. I am prepared for this challenge, I know that there is a great pressure, but I will do my best to honor this invitation”, said the 35 year-old coach who, after the presentation, also had the opportunity, together with the rest of the technical team, to visit the Sporting Museum and learn more about the Club History. 

Before the statements by Rúben Amorim, Sporting CP president, Frederico Varandas, spoke to journalists and explained the choice on the portuguese coach. “Rúben Amorim is the coach of our project, especially because he is aligned with our vision for football: supported by academy players, without fearing of training, playing and strengthening these players. He is our choice, not only for the results obtained at SC Braga, but for the deep knowledge we have of him as a man. It is a paradigm shift, and I have no problem investing in the right coach. We hired a great coach, but not a miracle worker. He is a very ambitious coach, with a lot of belief, who knows the reality of Portuguese football, the demands of a big club and Sporting’s ambition. We are completely lined up and today the 2020/2021 season starts for Sporting CP”, he considered.