Jorge Jesus' pre-match press conference on League Cup visit to Portimonense

Speaking in an exclusive press conference with Sporting TV, Jorge Jesus set out his plans for tomorrow's League Cup Group C visit to Portimonense. For the Alvalade boss, Portimonense's matchday 1 upset of Arouca (4-1) is a sure sign of the dangers posed by Tuesday's hosts.

“The game is important for this competition. Portimonense won their first match and if we are the same on points then goals will matter. Portimonense will try and make this game decisive in qualification for the next round. Our objective is to win tomorrow and everything will be in our control if we do. It will be a hard game and we will have to show the maturity to deal with some of the harder moments in the game. We will be facing a team from II Liga, who are fighting for promotion", affirmed Jorge Jesus, continuing: “All clubs who are taking part in this competition what to get as far possible. League Cup finals are important financially and they are games played with a lot of quality and passion. It is a competition that is not only important in terms of competition in the squad, but also because it brings games to regions in Portugal that don't have that many. They love football in the Algarve and it will be a great match. Our Supporters' Clubs in the Algarve will have a chance to meet the team too."

Confronted with a question on his usual tactic of squad rotation in the League Cup, the Sporting coach highlighted the progress being made across the squad to due the extra playing time: “The match against Tondela has nothing to do with tomorrow. We will go to Portimão with the players who are best fitted to get the win. A lot of those who played against Tondela will go to, with the exception of Adrien and Gelson Martins, who picked up a few knocks. Marvin will make his debut. He has adapted well. You can see he is still getting to know the squad, which is normal, but we have to give him the chance to show what he can do. Almost the entire squad plays in the team now, okay some more than others, but we don't have a fixed pattern. We have a very flexible team and by choices are always related to the quality I have in the squad."

Marvin's favoured position and Teo's fitness were also touched upon by the Alvalade chief: "Marvin was picked as a left-back. We let Jonathan go, because we really believe in him. He is only 21 years old and he needed to play, so we looked for a solution in Portugal. Marvin is here for that same position and that is what we have been working on. Clinically Teo is looking positive. We have a really good medical department and the doctors will try and get the players ready for us. He will probably be in the squad tomorrow."

To finish, Jesus spoke about the current situation at the heart of the Alvalade defence: "With Tobias being out we only have three centre-backs. We are in a risky position and we can't pick up any injuries or suspensions. We are trying to get Rúben Semedo back, but I don't know if it will be possible in contractual terms. If not, we will have to use the January market or the B team."

Jorge Jesus on his side's draw with Tondela

While accepting that his side made a poor start to Friday's encounter with Tondela, the Sporting coach put on record the influence of the evening's refereeing on the final result.

“It was a tough game. We made it hard for ourselves and the referee made it harder. We didn't start well and we were lacking aggression and intensity in the first half an hour. Patrício was sent off and the referee gave what was for him a penalty, because Patrício saved with his foot instead of his hand. He gave the penalty because he isn't used to that kind of thing and it really penalised us", affirmed Jorge Jesus, adding: "In the second-half we showed character. When we finally took the lead, we ended up conceding again form a situation that we wouldn't normally. We pushed Tondela back after that, but with 10 players you get tired. Football can be like that, but of course we feel like we lost two points here tonight."

Sporting may have lost two points, but the team from Alvalade still top the Liga NOs table. For Jorge Jesus, next week's visit to Paços de Ferreira is the perfect chance to get back to winning ways: "At the start of the season we beat Tondela and drew with Paços de Ferreira, so now we can turn that around."

Jorge Jesus sits down with the press ahead of hosting of Tondela

Jorge Jesus was in the Alvalade press room this Thursday afternoon, giving his first press conference of the second half of this season's Liga NOS campaign.

“The match is worth three points. I know matches against the big names seem to mean more, but this match is worth the same three points that the one against Sp. Braga was. We want to carry on in first place and we will have to show we can do that against Tondela. It will be a normal match against a team that is well organised in defence and that sits back, so we won't have a lot of space and they will try and surprise us on the counter-attack", opened the Alvalade boss, following up: "A name of where a team is in the league doesn't matter to us. If you concentrate on that sort of thing, then you might get a nasty surprise. We have already lost to one of the last placed teams and that shows that we have to respect every opponent."

“The second half of the season begins tomorrow and we are better than we were at the beginning of the season, because we have four more points than our rivals. Things have been going better than we expected, because it isn't easy to earn your place with the two teams that normally fight for the title. We are on the right track now and the lads are feeling good. We are playing some really quality football, but that doesn't guarantee first place", reflected Jesus, going on to comment on Sporting officially attracting the best crowds so far this season: "That is good news, but we won't stop there and we want more and more fans with us. The fans have been really important and against Sp. Braga they made the difference."

Asked about news articles published today about Schelotto, as well as a variety of efforts to target Slimani, Jorge Jesus played it cool: "I have been in football for many years now and I know how important it is to try and destabilise. Don't mess around, particularly with me. This is another attempt to try and upset Slimani with things that don't exist. What I will say is that you should all pay attention to a team that has earned everything it has now and that people are trying to create a lot of problems inside the club. People are trying to pressure Slimani and Sporting has lost some power in the places where certain decisions are made. Slimani is a really loyal player, he is aggressive and he runs a lot, but he respects his opponents and he is a great person. He is exemplary as a player and as a player."

Jesus finished by his idea that Sporting will likely play better in the second half of the season, as well as with a comment on the return of Teo Gutiérrez: “He arrived today and he will train tomorrow. The medical team will observe him and see what has to be done."

Jorge Jesus on Sporting's comeback against Sp. Braga

"This isn't a special moment. It is a moment in which we won another three points after being 2-0 behind. Without really understanding why, we were losing at half-time. We were the best side for the whole 45 minutes. João Mário had a chance one-on-one with the goalkeeper and so did Slimani, Paulo Oliveira hit the post...Sp. Braga scored two goals created by individual quality, from two brilliant bits of skill from Rafa, but they didn't really deserve it", opened Jorge Jesus in a flash interview at the final whistle on Sunday night, after inspiring his side to a battling 3-2 comeback.

Asked what he said to his players at the break, the Alvalade boss said: “We spoke and I told them that they had the quality to turn it around. We had the fans with us, even when we were losing 2-0, which really helped in the second-half. I don't know if there were 40 thousand or 450 thousand people in the stadium today, but they were really important. It was a great game with some great refereeing. We haven't won anything yet, but today we put in another performance that shows why we are in the top places in the league. We won against a really good side today."

Jorge Jesus ahead of Sunday's hosting of Sp. Braga

Sporting will host Sp. Braga at 16h00 this Sunday, on Liga NOS matchday 16. On the back of wins against FC Porto (2-0) and V. Setúbal (6-0), Jorge Jesus sees this as his side's best spell of the season.

“We will be taking on an excellent team. One of the best in Portugal in fact and they have already beaten us. It is a club that is making a name for themselves both on and off the pitch. They have their own objectives and a team with a lot of quality that will make life difficult for us tomorrow. It will be one the same level as the game against FC Porto here, for example", opened the Sporting coach in a pre-match press conference on Saturday evening, adding: "We are ready for those difficulties. We will try to play at the level we have been at, to defend first place with a win. Obviously Braga will have other intentions, but we are feeling confident. The fans will be with us again and that will help us get over this hurdle."

There is little doubt that Sporting are currently on-song, with two convincing Liga NOS wins. For Jorge Jesus, this is certainly his team's best form of the campaign so far: "Over the course of the season, teams go through different periods. It is only natural that Sporting go through a strong spell now and I have already said that we will be stronger in the second half of the season. These last two games are our best form of the season so far. This is the last game of the first half of the season and, whatever the result, Sporting will be in first at the start of the second half of the season. It has been a brilliant season so far, spectacular in every way, from the quality of how we have been playing to the points we have."

Asked about the possible debut of Marvin Zeegelaar and Bruno César's stellar performace against V. Setúbal, Jesus explained: “Bruno César, as well as being more of a forward player, already knows me and those are two positive things. His relationship with the team makes it easier. He has been working with us for a month and that made it easier for him to come on and play with the quality he showed. Marvin has been with us for a week. He is a defensive player and that makes it a bit tricker if you are looking to attack, but with time he will fit in, like Schelotto."

After brushing off temptation to add to a war of words with Rui Vitória, Jorge Jesus commented on Julen Lopetegui's exit from FC Porto: "No coach likes to see a colleague in that position, but that is not my decision to make. I hope that he gets back into work as quickly as possible, because every coach always want to be involved."

Jorge Jesus on his side's 6-0 win in Setúbal

It was mission accomplished for Jorge Jesus in Setúbal this Wednesday night. Speaking in a flash interview at the final whistle, the Alvalade boss reaffirmed his intentions of staying on top of the Liga NOS pile.

“We played well. The difference in goals gave us more confidence. We played against a good team and it isn't by chance that Vitória were in third with one more goal scored than us even. We wanted the three points and if by a decent margin then even better, but it still just means three points", said the Sporting coach, adding: "This isn't the best we have played. We have had harder games than this and showed the same quality. We played really well and nobody can take that away from what the team did today. We wanted to defend first place and that meant winning here today. We came here expecting a hard game and sometimes things end up being easier than you think, which is what happened, but let me say that Vitória were not as good as usual today because we covered the space well."

Jorge Jesus finished with a word on Bruno César's debut, as well his current outlook on the Liga NOS table: "He (Bruno César) is a player who is good enough for a big team and I saw that. thankfully we got him. We have played 16 matches and their are still a lot to go. This team doesn't have the experience of being in first or of winning the league like FC Porto and Benfica do. We are finding out way. You don't create a mentality in six months, it takes years, but fortunately things are happening quicker than I expected."

Jorge Jesus' pre-match press conference ahead of trip to V. Setúbal

While accepting that his side will face a tough trip to Setúbal this Wednesday evening, Jorge Jesus was in an affirmative mood in his pre-match press conference this week, setting out his objective of staying on top of the Liga NOS pile for as long as possible.

“It will be difficult, not only because of the quality of our opponent, but also because of how their fans get behind their team. However, we are back in first place and we want to defend that and we will play to win like we always do. I won't say a lot about possible changes. We have made some in the Europa League, but of course we might do it again and that is my way of playing", opened the Alvalade boss, going on to speak about Vitória, recent praise for him from the opposition coach and the likely state of the pitch: "Vitória are having a good season. We all like to be ready for our critics, in the good and the bad times, and I think I have contributed to Portuguese football. The Vitória coach is doing that as well, just like other coaches who have welcomed new ideas. The hardest thing for us will be how V. Setúbal approach the game, as well as the quality of some of their individual players. I don't know how the pitch will be and I don't know if Vitória have trained there or not. I know that Quim Machado, the Vitória coach, would like to have a good pitch as well, because we both play good football and it will be harder if the pitch is full of holes.”

In parallel, Jesus dismissed the suggestion of added pressure brought by topping the league table: "First place doesn't bring any pressure or extra responsibility. We had the goal of getting into first and we were for a while. We lost it for one match and now we are back in first. We are on the right track, amongst Benfica and FC Porto. We have shown in the first third of the season that we have what it takes. Tomorrow is a tough step, but we want to carry on where we are."

To finish, the Sporting coach commented on Teo Gutiérrez, as well as rumours of a search for a defender during the transfer window: "As well as Slimani I have Montero and Tanaka up front. Teo is authorised to be what he is doing and what matters are the players I have available right now. He will be back at the end of the week and we will go into the next third of the season with him. Tobias has been a true professional and he has shown a lot of respect for the club. Even when he wasn't ready, he tried his best to help. Speaking about possible signings isn't worth it right now, especially because we have players in the B team if we need them."

V. Setúbal-Sporting will kick off at 20h15 tomorrow in Estádio do Bonfim, Setúbal.

Jorge Jesus reflects on his side's win against FC Porto and the title race so far

"Sporting played better than FC Porto today, but before I say anything about the game I have to say that these fans deserve a great team. They showed the strength of this club and fans game from everywhere to be here. The fans deserve the players to be playing at this level", opened Jorge Jesus in a flash interview at the final whistle on Saturday night.

Having masterminded yet another win against one of Portugal's Big 3, Jesus played it cool: "There is no secret to this, it is just hard work. The key to the match was the first goal and the team got it. It looked more likely that it would be 2-0 than 1-1 or 3-0 than 2-1 and the fairest result I think would have been 3-1. I have to say that I liked FC Porto and I think they have some strong players individually. It isn't easy to stop them.

In parallel, Jesus was cautious to warn that there is still a lot of football to play this season and that it is too early to be commenting on the title race: “It was just another three points, just like the ones we lost in Madeira. This result could have an influence in the tie-breaker, but nothing more than that. We have a hard road ahead of us and we will try and defend first place for as long as we can. Nobody can guarantee anything in football, but we will fight to achieve our objectives right up to the last game of the season. You asked me before the game if I thought Sporting were the best team and I said I thought FC Porto where because they were in first. After today, we are in first."

Jorge Jesus shares his thoughts ahead of Saturday's FC Porto showdown

Jorge Jesus is expecting a balanced evening of football when his side hosts FC Porto this Saturday, with the Liga NOS top spot up for grabs.

“The stadium selling out is normal right now for how we are playing and for this kind of match. The fans and the players have been sharing a lot of emotion this season and you need that at a club like Sporting. The fans will show again tomorrow what they can do", opened the Sporting coach in his habitual pre-match press conference.

“FC Porto are a great side with quality players, but Sporting are a quality side as well and it will be like it usually is when we take on a big side. What I want is for our quality to make the difference against FC Porto", added Jesus, continuing: "I don't know what the coach on the other side is thinking, but I have to try and guess. I don't think them being in first now will change much for how FC Porto will organise in attack or defence, because it is a team with a fixed style that you can't just change."

Asked to comment on previous episodes between the two Portuguese giants, as well as his previous run-ins with the FC Porto coach, Jesus preferred to focus on the football: "The most important thing in the match is the players and the collective and individual quality of both sides. The match is here and now and I will acknowledge my colleague like I would any other. I wouldn't say that the fans add more pressure, because the season has its ups and downs anyway and the players are always under that kind of pressure. You can't really say that there is a favorite, because such a thing only exists when there is a big difference between."

Responding on a question on FC Porto's current occupation of 1st place in Liga NOS and how is influences his side, Jesus went on: “In practice it is a little bit harder for the team in second, because when you are in front the team behind you has to make up ground. The team chasing first place is Sporting. We said for several weeks that we wanted to defend first place and now we want to chase it down again. We started this season with a lot of emotion and belief that it would be a better season than the last one. We know you can't just turn up and wins come naturally, but the fact is that we have won a trophy and we are fighting to be top of the league."

Sporting-FC Porto will kick off at 20h45 on Saturday, in Estádio José Alvalade.

Jorge Jesus on his side's League Cup win against Paços de Ferreira

"Our objective was to win our first game in the League Cup, keeping in mind that we are just back from the holiday season", said Jorge Jesus in the final whistle on Tuesday.

"Yesterday I had a few doubts about what team I would put out. We have been working really hard in training, but the lads have responded well. We took on a hard team that we didn't beat in the league, but we won 3-1 and we could have scored more", continued the Sporting coach, adding: "Some of the players did really well and João Mário was good too."

Jorge Jesus also spoke about how the treatment room is looking ahead of the hosting of FC Porto on Saturday: "We will see about William. He picked up an injury in training and I am not sure he will recover in time. Teo is out too. A game against FC Porto is always really big regardless of how the league table looks. This is the first time Sporting will play without being in first, but of course we want to win."