Elias returns to Alvalade three years after departure

Not many people would have believed it, but Elias has indeed returned to Alvalade from Corinthians, three years after first leaving the Portuguese capital. Moments after penning his new deal, the Brazilian midfielder explained the reasoning behind the move.

"I am happy to be back. It is a club I know and that wants to win the league. That is what made me want to come back. Everything happened really quickly and I was surprised but really happy with Sporting's interest. I said straight away that I wanted to come back to this great club", said Elias, before going on to explain the Bruno de Carvalho's input in the move: "The president is really good at negotiating and he dealt with everything in 24 hours. I am more experienced now and I am better tactically and positionally. I don't attack as much, but I look to do it better when I do. I don't just want to flight for titles, I want to win them. This is a chance to pick up where I left off."

Agreement with Moreirense for the loan of Daniel Podence

Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Moreirense Futebol Clube – Futebol, SAD for the loan of Daniel Podence until the end of the 2016/17 season, with no option for a permanent transfer.

Sporting SAD wishes Daniel Podence the best of personal and professional success.

Dutch forward put through his paces at the Sporting Academy

The Dutch forward Luc Castaignos is already in full training at the Sporting Academy with the rest of the squad.

Despite the reduced number of players at the Academy due to the international break, Bas Dost was on hand to partner up with Castaignos in his first session.

Agreement with Kaiserslautern for the loan of Ewerton

Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with FC Kaiserslautern for the loan of the player Ewerton until the end of the current sports season, with an option for a permanent transfer.

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

Gelson Martins on Sporting's 2-1 win against FC Porto on Sunday night

Gelson Martins was the player chosen to speak with the press after Sporting's 2-1 win against Fc Porto this Sunday and the Alvalade younger was more than clear on his interpretation of the encounter: "It was a deserved win. We didn't start well, but we improved and had a good game overall."

Avoiding commenting on the sending off of Jorge Jesus, Gelson added a word on how the season has been developing so far: "We have made a good start, but it is still really early in the season. We still have a lot of matches to play and we have to make sure we don't get carried away. I hope this season is the big one for me and that is what I am working hard every day for."

Win in first classic of the season moves Sporting top of Liga NOS

Sporting turned in a convincing win against the visiting FC Porto this weekend, with three points that puts the team from Alvalade top of Liga NOS.

Jesus set his side out with Bryan Ruiz working the space behind Slimani, when Bruno César and Gelson Martins occupied the space out wide. It was actually FC Porto who made the better start to the encounter, with Felipe netting after 8 minutes. However, Jorge Jesus' side brushed off the early setback and drew level just five minutes later, when Slimani popped up in the right place at the right time to make the most of a Bruno César free-kick ricocheted off the post and out to the big Algerian for his 56th goal in a Sporting shirt.

FC Porto's roaring start soon faded under a mature performance by Jorge Jesus' men right across the park and Gelson scored a second to give Sporting a thoroughly deserved lead. With the hosts dominating possession, the 49,399 fans who had packed out Alvalade saw out a relatively uneventful second-half, with the exception of a baffling sending off for Jorge Jesus and the team doctor Frederico Varandas. However, the blow to the Sporting bench did little to upset the action on the pitch and their was still time for Campbell and Paulista to come off the bench and finish off proceedings with showings that look promising for the coming campaign.

Luc Castaignos pleased with his move to the Portuguese capital

It has been a busy weekend in the transfer market for Sporting, with Luc Castaignos following Bas Dost with a move from the Budesliga to I Liga. The second Dutch forward to sign this weekend, Castaignos has penned a three-year deal, with a buy-out clause of 60,000,000.00€.

"I chose Sporting because it is one of the big clubs in Portugal. I am still young and I think this is the perfect place for me to play and learn. Portuguese football is really good and the players are good, that is why I decided to come here", said Castaignos in his first Alvalade interview, adding a word on his style on the pitch: "I am quick and I score a few goals, but I am not the kind of player who stays in the box. I like to look for space. I won't promise anything, but I will help the team fight for the title."

Jesus on his side's 2-1 win against FC Porto on Sunday night

Jorge Jesus had warned that an FC Porto visit is never easy, but a mature performance from his side saw Sporting come from behind and secure the spoils from the first classic of the current Liga NOS campaign.

"We were losing pretty much from the start and that was down in part to our positioning. Slimani and Bryan Ruiz didn't have a lot of chances and we didn't have the opportunity to do what we usually do, which took away from our quality a bit. However our tactics made the difference and we were winning at half-time. In the second-half we did well to manage the result. FC Porto didn't create a single chance on goal. Bruno Paulista was to give a bit of help to Adrien and I thought we were tactically better disciplined than FC Porto. The fans were brilliant tonight as well", said Jesus in his post-match press conference.

Jesus was actually given his marking orders in the second-half with baffling decision from the referee. "I didn't say anything to the referee. I was no where near him. The rules say that coaches can't say anything, but the coach is part of the match. As long as we don't interfere with the referee's job then I don't see why we can't speak, especially when it is with our own players. All I said was that it was that the foul should have been the other way around and I was sent off", reflected the Sporting coach.

Transfer activity was inevitably a focus off the press conference and first up was Slimani's situation: "I am not sure. I have been a coach for a long time and this is normal. A lot of clubs have been putting bids in for a lot of players and it puts a lot of pressure on us, but it is a sign of the lads' quality. With the exception of João Mário, all of the other players are part of the squad. Not just anyone can turn up here and take players and the president knows what I think and I know what he thinks."

Next up was Bas Dost: "In some ways he is similar to Slimani, but there is only one Slimani. Even with everything that is going on, he has been a great professional for the club and the team. He knows that he will only leave if Sporting wants him to."

Adrien was next: "He is also attracting attention, just like William Carvalho, Rui Patrício and Slimani and like João Mário was. It is the consequence of our success. We didn't win the league last season, but we finished second and the national team had influenced things as well."

Agreement with VFL Wolfsburg for the transfer of Bas Dost

Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with VFL Wolfsburg for the permanent transfer of the player Bas Dost. The athlete has signed a contract valid for four years, with a buy-out clause of 60,000,000.00€.

Sporting SAD wishes Bas Dost the best of professional and personal success.

Bas Dost pens four-year deal to secure move to Alvalade

Bas Dost secured a move to Alvalade this weekend, on a contract valid for four years. Standing at an imposing 1.96m, the Dutchman made a name for himself with some deadly finishing for Wolfsburg.

"Some offers came from England as well, but Sporting was the club that followed me most. The club never hid their interest in me. That was important in my decision and I am happy with the option I took", said Bas Dost in his first interview in a Sporting shirt, going on to speak about Ricky van Wolfswinkel's tips for life in Lisbon: "He told me about the great football played here and about the atmosphere in the stadium. That really made me want to get out onto the pitch. I already know Bryan Ruiz from when he played for [2009-2011] and I know Douglas and of course the players that won the Euro."