Coates on extending his stay in Alvalade

Sebastián Coates was a largely unknown name for many Sporting fans when arriving at Alvalade this January, but the backing given by fellow Uruguayan and former teammate at Liverpool, Luís Suárez, has certainly rung true: "A player like Sebastián brings lot of quality to a team. I am certain he will be a great signing." Since arriving in the Portuguese capital, Sabastián truly has bossed the Sporting defence in an intimidating double-team with Rúben Semedo.

"All players dream of playing for a club that is fighting for titles, with ambitious objectives, and that made the difference for me", said Coates in an interview with the Sporting website after signing his loan extension, before adding a word on his odd forays forward: "Personally, my role is to defend, but If I can help in attack then I will."

Jorge Jesus' focus on defence has actually taken the Uruguayan by surprise, considering that goals are need to turn in wins. However, the final result can of course be decided by good defending. "The coach worries a lot about how we defend. Of course goals are needed to win, but he really worries about getting us all defending. Not every coach does that and it makes a big difference", said the defensive giant, finishing: "This is a great club with fans who are always pushing the players. I want to do my best for this shirt for us to get the results that we all want."

Alvalade president sits down with the Sporting president ahead of league showdown

You have to go back 42 years for the last time that Sporting and Benfica took the title race down to the last match of the season. It was in 1974, when millions waited for the final whistle. History isn't on Sporting's side, with the league leaders going into the decisive fixture tending to hold out and take the trophy, however Bruno de Carvalho sees things a little differently.

“Going into the last match of the season, we are two points behind first place. Of course it isn't the place we would prefer to be in and of course we would like to be in first. However, we are completely focused and we know anything could happen. That is what makes football such a beautiful game. While it is mathematically possible, anything can happen", commented the Alvalade president in an interview with the Sporting Journal this week, adding: "What I see is a Sporting team focused on our match and that believes that we can bring home a title that we have been missing for so long now. We will do everything we can to do that."

Sporting's hopes of silverware after the dust settles this weekend does however not just depend on what happens in Estádio Municipal de Braga. Meanwhile in Lisbon, Benfica will host Nacional, with Sporting needing the team from Madeira to at least steal a point.

“Looking at Benfica-Nacional, well from what I have seen and heard it seems like Nacional doesn't count for anything. It seems like Nacional doesn't care. That if what I have felt when listening to commentators associated with Benfica, but honestly I don't believe it", affirmed Carvalho, continuing: "Nacional are a good side and I don't think they want to be the side show for the league title. I know how hard Rui Alves has been working to put Nacional on the map and they are fighting for places further up the league now. Of course Benfica are motivated, because winning gives them the league, but Nacional are motivated as well."

The coach looks for a turnaround against FK Bodø/Glimt

Rui Borges held a press conference room at Aspmyra Stadion to analyse Sporting Clube de Portugal’s loss against FK Bodø/Glimt, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
 
The result
"It’s clearly not impossible to turn the tie around. It was a less successful game on our part; we were far from what we wanted to be. It's a heavily adverse result, but I believe that all of us, as a group, leave here a little frustrated with our inability in the game, and we want to give off a different image. We will take responsibility, and do more and be better in the next game. We don't consider this over, by any means. We will be playing at home. It's a large deficit, but I believe we can have a different showing."
 
Explanation for the difficulties
"It's the coach's responsibility and nobody else's. We should have had a different competitive attitude; we were too permissive and we could have made better decisions, but we let the game be what the opposition wanted. We had difficulty reading our marking and it created discomfort in the timing of our press, in a game that demanded a lot of physicality that we didn't have. Playing well isn't enough, especially in this competition. They are in the Round of 16 with great merit, and today they gave another demonstration of that. But the blame lies with me and I take full responsibility.
 
The opposition didn't surprise me at all. We were warned about everything that happened in the game, but we didn't have the ability to run, and when that competitive aspect isn’t there, tactics are useless. We need to understand whether it was fatigue, the pitch, or why we didn't have that attitude that is needed. We let the game go into transitions, and we didn't want that; we spent the whole game letting Bodø get into those processes. Let this serve as a lesson for all of us, especially for me, but also for the players. They knew what kind of energy was needed to be competitive against this great team.”
 
A message for the fans
"I understand their frustration, it's normal. They're no more frustrated than we are, but I ask that they be there for the second leg. We need their energy. Since I've been here it's been important and it will be once again. I truly believe that we have to give off a different image."
 
The artificial pitch
"That can't be an excuse. For a team that like to have the ball, who are skillful, it ends up being limiting. More than that, the competitive aspect and physicality have to be there. There are players who aren't at their peak, and we have to have them there, whether they're in peak condition or not. Luis Suárez is an example, because we don't have other solutions. It was clearly noticeable that he didn't have the same energy because he has some physical problems. 
 
Maybe I didn't choose the team well. I will always defend the players, but they know we had to have a different competitive attitude. I'm not saying there was a lack of attitude, but it wasn't enough to just be ourselves. We had to be more than that, because the other team are physically very demanding. It's not just the tactical or technical aspects that matter at that level. We have to be more demanding. That's how football is, and we weren't up to that level.
 
It's a game that didn't go as we wanted, we were punished, but we could also have scored from two or three moves. I believe very, very much that next Tuesday we'll do something different."

A 3-0 loss to FK Bodø/Glimt gives work to do in the Champions League tie

Sporting Clube de Portugal lost 3-0 to FK Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. In the game in Norway, Rui Borges' side struggled to contain the fast-paced, efficient home team, and they will now need to turn the result around at the Estádio José Alvalade.
 
With six players unavailable, the coach made three changes compared to the starting lineup, fielding Giorgios Vagiannidis, João Simões and Luís Guilherme. On the artificial turf of the glacial Aspmyra Stadion, the thermometers showed temperatures of 5ºC, but there was a much lower wind chill that made conditions even more uncomfortable.
 
Sporting CP started the match well and, just three minutes in, created danger with a combination between Geny Catamo and Giorgios Vagiannidis. Then, Francisco Trincão and Luis Suárez linked up and won the first corner of the game in the sixth minute. Off that set piece, the Colombian won the ball and shot wide.
 
FK Bodø/Glimt threatened for the first time in the eighth minute, after a very quick attack down the right. Jens Petter Hauge's shot went close to goal, providing a scare for Sporting CP..
 
On13 minutes, Ole Blomberg reappeared on the right and crossed into a dangerous area, but Rui Silva caught it without difficulty. The opposition began to look more in control and more comfortable, despite not creating an abundance of clear-cut chances.
 
On 24 minutes, the game opened up and, in the space of a few seconds, there could have been a goal at either end. First, Hakon Evjen went through alone against Rui Silva, who denied him with a huge save. Then, Luís Guilherme advanced down the left and shot, but Nikita Haikin made the stop.
 
Half an hour into the game, FK Bodø/Glimt scored, as the referee pointed to the penalty spot after a collision between Giorgios Vagiannidis and Sondre Fet. The Norwegian midfielder himself converted.

In the following minutes, Sporting CP tried to have more possession and establish themselves in the final third, but always ran into the well-organised Norwegian defensive line. On 42 minutes, Luis Suárez cut inside from the left and attempted a shot, as the ball got smothered by the opposition.
 
At the end of the first half, Sporting CP conceded a second goal. Ole Blomberg, ran to the edge of the six-yard box on the left, broke in and struck past Rui Silva.
 
After the interval, Sporting CP came out more aggressively and decisively. The first opportunity to score came in the 52nd minute, through Luis Suárez. After a series of headers in the area, the ball fell to the Colombian striker who tried to aim for goal from a tricky position. The effort went inches wide of the goalkeeper's left post. 
 
In the 56th minute, Gonçalo Inácio almost scored an own goal after another Norwegian counter-attack, but deflected the ball out of play.
 
The visitors continued to show signs of improvement and came very close to making it 2-1 in the 60th minute. Suárez stepped up on the left wing and attempted a shot between Nikita Haikin's legs, but he was able to keep the strike out.
 
Rui Borges made three substitutions at once in the 63rd minute, bringing on Hidemasa Morita, Nuno Santos, and Souleymane Faye -making his debut in the competition. 
 
FK Bodø/Glimt once again proved deadly in attack and, in the 71st minute, made it 3-0. In a scramble inside the area, Kasper Hogh prevailed and poked the ball into the net.
 
Daniel Bragança entered the pitch for the last ten minutes of the game.
 
It was FK Bodø/Glimt who came close to scoring again, off a quick move down the wings. Jens Petter Hauge's cross-shot from the edge of the area went slightly wide.
 
Sporting CP lacked space in the central channel and could no longer break through on the wings. The exception to this came in the 90th minute, but Suárez was unfortunate with a shot that rebounded off a teammate and sent the ball into the opposite direction.
 
The two teams will meet again in a week’s time, on March 17th, at the Estádio José Alvalade, to decide who goes through to the quarter finals.
 
Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Iván Fresneda, Gonçalo Inácio, Ousmane Diomande, Giorgios Vagiannidis (Nuno Santos, 63’), Morten Hjulmand [C], João Simões (Hidemasa Morita), Luís Guilherme (Daniel Bragança, 80’), Francisco Trincão, Geny Catamo (Souleymane Faye, 63’) and Luis Suárez.

The midfielder previews the duel with FK Bodø/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadion

In a press conference ahead of the game, Francisco Trincão spoke about Sporting Clube de Portugal's contest against FK Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
 
Making history again
"We want to continue making history. We know it's a difficult game, with conditions different from what we're used to, but today's training session was precisely for that reason - to adapt to the pitch and to the climate."
 
Fitness
"I would say I'm in good physical condition, like all my teammates. They pay us for that, to be in good shape and recover in the best way. The club also give us the best conditions for that."
 
His contract renewal
"I always say that I’m happy, and always have been very happy at Sporting CP. This is my club and it always will be."
 
How the different conditions affect things on the pitch
"The ball can roll differently, it can bounce a little more, but we've had time to get used to that too. If the ball is wet it can roll a little faster or bounce more if it's drier. We'll have time to understand that and analyse it in the best way."
 
The two legs
"We know that playing over two games it's always different, but of course we're going out there to win the game. The attitude can't change because it's two legs. We always go out there to win, but we know that we’re up against a great team, that have played great games, and we have to do our part."
 
Favourites
"I'd say it's 50-50, but I'd say that about any opponent, because in the UEFA Champions League anything can happen and all the teams are good. In these games, details make the difference. I think it's very much like that now. It's 50-50 and whoever is better prepared will win the game."
 
Difficulty dribbling
"Incidentally, in the last few days, I spoke with Dani [Bragança], saying that we should play this game barefoot, remembering what we did in the youth training sessions. It's a football match and training will help us to have a better sensation and be in the best possible shape tomorrow."

The coach looks at the first leg against FK Bodø/Glimt

Sporting Clube de Portugal play this Wednesday against FK Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Coach Rui Borges guaranteed in his press conference that he expects "strong, competitive and intense" opponents on the visit to Norway.
 
FK Bodø/Glimt’s progress in the competition
"For me it's not surprising. It’s only so for those who don't follow the teams or have only been looking at this team for a few months. They’ve reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, where they were eliminated by the eventual winner, and this year they have already beaten teams considered contenders for victory in this major competition.
 
We are two teams with enormous ambition. We’re different in our approach, but competitive and ambitious. We are determined, collectively, to make club history, and individually, with each player also seeking that feeling. In that aspect we are very similar. As for the game, each side have our own strengths, but we’re two great teams."
 
Adapting to synthetic playing surfaces
"Fortunately, nowadays you have access to any type of boot and, as athletes, players have to be prepared for the demands of this game. It won't serve as an excuse, nor can it, but it's different from playing on natural grass. The ball bounces more if the synthetic surface is dry, it slides more if it's fast, it gets stuck more, and those who aren't used to it have difficulties, even in terms of having the grip to gain speed. It will never serve as an excuse, especially since FK Bodø/Glimt have also been a great team away from home. We are looking more at the strength of a strong, competitive, and intense FK Bodø/Glimt, and not at the pitch itself."
 
How the team are doing physically
"I hope they are doing well. In Braga, there was a general drop in our condition. Individually, I am paying attention to that, and the coaching staff also noticed some things. Of course, everyone will say they are fine, but we believe that by Wednesday they will be ready. During the game, and against a very intense team that will demand a lot from us, the physical impact of playing on artificial turf will affect each player differently.
 
The game has this particularity; we will be attentive and understand, from training, who is doing well, who adapts best, then talk to them individually and understand what will be the best and strongest starting XI to take on a great FK Bodø/Glimt from the initial phase of the game."
 
Making history
"I think Sporting CP have already made history. Now, it's about continuing to dream, understanding the difficulty we will face. It's a two-legged tie, but it's against a team that have already beaten contenders and a team that, in their national league, have a lot of possession. They weren't champions, but they had the best attack and the best defence, and averaged three goals scored per game in 2025, which clearly shows how strong they are.
 
In the Champions League, they are the team with the most goals from counter-attacks and fast breaks. This clearly shows the strength of FK Bodø/Glimt in both attacking and defensive play against big sides. That's what we have to be prepared for."
 
The two legs
"I think both games are crucial. They've already played great games at home and away, and for example, they beat Atletico Madrid. That clearly shows their quality. Tomorrow's game won't be decisive, nor is it at our home ground. Whoever is stronger over the two legs will advance to the quarterfinals. The ambition will be the same for both of us, for sure."
 
Choosing the best eleven
"I'll sleep on it, and speak to the assistants and the players, but the artificial turf limits the choices, because Nuno [Santos] and Dani [Bragança] recently came back from knee injuries. We need to understand the impact it might have. Everyone else, each in their own way, will have to adapt."
 
Nuno Santos playing at left-back
"If he's here, he can help, but he's coming off a very long layoff, a very serious injury. Of course, physically he's not the old Nuno yet, and it will take some time. The technical and tactical aspects are there, as he's an extraordinary player. He's a warrior and if anyone could have overcome this and become the same player again, it's him. We'll see, and if Nuno doesn't play I'll have to make an adaptation. David Moreira is also in the squad, and he could be the one to replace him."
 
The key to the first leg
"Very honestly, I think it's the ability to be prepared for the physical demands of the entire 90 minutes. FK Bodø/Glimt are a team with a lot of intensity in both attack and defence, very dynamic, intense in their pursuit of goals, and the team that have scored the most goals in this competition from quick attacks. We have to be very balanced, very clear-headed and rigorous."

The coach reacts to the 2-2 draw in Minho

Following the 2-2 draw between Sporting Clube de Portugal and SC Braga, coach Rui Borges held a press conference and analysed the match.
 
Analysis of the game
"It ended up with the bad taste of conceding a goal after the 90 minutes. The three games I’ve had against SC Braga with Sporting CP have been the same. It is what it is, and we've also scored some goals in stoppage time.

We started very well, we could have made it 0-2 and SC Braga equalised from their only approach on goal. In that move, we could have done more, but we had a very good first half nevertheless. The second half was different, as we dropped back a bit and SC Braga had more possession, but they still only managed two shots on goal. Apart from that, they had two crosses into the box. We sat deeper, but we controlled ourselves. We improved and grew with the substitutions, we stabilised things, but we lacked more of the long possessions we had in the first half. SC Braga were fortunate in the 90+3', and this happens.

We could have scored more goals and we didn't. SC Braga were lucky and deserve credit for believing."

Eduardo Quaresma's introduction
"It didn't change anything in terms of the idea or strategy we had, but did switch up the characteristics of the players on the pitch."

Luis Suárez's missed chance
"Credit to the SC Braga goalkeeper. The game would have been different had we gone 0-2 up, but we don't know how it would have ended. It's not worth going into that; he has scored other goals that nobody expected."

The team concede a stoppage time penalty away from home

Sporting Clube de Portugal drew 2-2 away to SC Braga on Liga Portugal Matchday 25, as their opponents snatched a late equaliser from the penalty spot. The Sporting CP goals came from Gonçalo Inácio and Luis Suárez.

On a sunny evening in Braga, Rui Borges made only one change to the starting XI from the side that won against FC Porto in midweek, bringing in Pedro Gonçalves in place of Luís Guilherme. On the bench, Zeno Debast was back available after injury troubles.

After a back-and-forth opening few minutes, Sporting CP began to exert increasing dominance. The first serious attack came in the 11th minute, when Geny Catamo shot from outside the area and the ball was deflected out for a corner. Shortly after, from roughly the same position, the Mozambique international tried his luck again, but struck off target.

They threatened once more in the 15th minute, when Morten Hjulmand played through to Gonçalves in an offside position. Shortly after, a great team move saw Francisco Trincão, Gonçalves and Suárez all get touches, before Catamo narrowly missed the target.

One of the most active players, Catamo had another chance in the 22nd minute, dribbling past defenders on the right flank and having his effort smothered.

From the ensuing corner, Gonçalves crossed in and Gonçalo Inácio, with a great header, sent the ball into the back of the net. It was his first goal of the 2025/26 season.

The lead could have been doubled two minutes later, when Trincão set up Suárez. One-on-one with Lukáš Horníček, he was denied by the goalkeeper.

After Gonçalves shot wide, the pace slowed down slightly. Unexpectedly, SC Braga equalised with their very first shot. Assisted by Rodrigo Zalazar, Ricardo Horta finished from the middle of the area to make it 1-1.

Boosted by the goal, SC Braga improved and managed to balance out the midfield, although without creating dangerous chances. At the other end, Sporting CP also failed to threaten, until the 44th minute.

It was then that, on the stroke of halftime, Bright Arrey-Mbi handled the ball in a challenge with Luis Suárez and the referee awarded a penalty. The Colombian himself converted the spot kick, scoring his 23rd goal in Liga Portugal and his 31st of the season in all competitions.

To start the second half, a very well-worked counter-attack had Iván Fresneda finding Luis Suárez, who then looked for Gonçalves. Defender Florian Grillitsch cleared for a corner,  having come very close to scoring an own goal.
 
Hidemasa Morita tried to surprise Horníček from long range, before the control of position evened out during a spell with occasional approaches for SC Braga.

Sporting CP had two free kicks -one from each side- taken by Gonçalves and Trincão respectively. The defence cleared the first, and Horníček caught the second after several Sporting CP players had made contact with the ball. In response, João Moutinho shot wide.

Luis Suárez also missed the target from distance, and in the 72nd minute, Morita and Gonçalves were replaced by João Simões and Luís Guilherme.

Close to the final quarter-hour, Víctor Gómez tried to surprise Rui Silva, but the goalkeeper was alert and made the save.

In the 82nd minute, Ousmane Diomande's header forced Horníček into action, followed by Maxi Araújo shooting wide a minute later. In response, Grillitsch tried to equalise from long range, but without success.

However, in the 93rd minute SC Braga won a penalty, and Rodrigo Zalazar converted, frustrating Sporting CP in the closing moments.

Following this 2-2 Liga Portugal draw, Sporting CP will now travel to Norway to face FK Bodø/Glimt for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11th.

Sporting CP: Rui Silva [GK], Iván Fresneda, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo, Morten Hjulmand [C], Hidemasa Morita (João Simões, 72'), Geny Catamo (Eduardo Quaresma, 81'), Francisco Trincão, Pedro Gonçalves (Luís Guilherme, 72') and Luis Suárez.

The coach previews a big weekend in Liga Portugal

Sporting CP visit SC Braga this Saturday in Liga Portugal action. On the eve of the game against the current fourth-placed team, coach Rui Borges spoke about the challenge.
 
An important weekend
"Our ambition is to be first in the table and for that we have to do better than in the first meeting against SC Brage. As for the game between SL Benfica and FC Porto: We have to do our part and then understand the consequences.”
 
Analysis of the opponent
“SC Braga don't change their game plan, regardless of the players on the pitch. They want to have the ball; they are the team with the most possession in the league, along with Sporting CP, and that clearly shows in their play. They are also very strong in reacting to losing possession in the final third. Above any individual player, the idea is always there; the characteristics change depending on who plays. They are an attacking team that will create many difficulties for us, as they did at Alvalade when we drew 1-1. In the last ten games, they scored as many goals as Sporting CP.”
 
The renewal of Francisco Trincão and the expiring contract of Hidemasa Morita
“I focus a lot on the present. I am happy about Francisco, a player who has been growing, becoming more and more mature, and has enormous importance to the achievements and dynamics of Sporting CP. Since I arrived, he's been one of the players who has impressed me the most, if not the most, because he gives everything for the team, besides his quality and intelligence. He's always 'switched on', plays in several positions, makes Sporting CP much stronger, and for that reason, I'm happy for him and for Sporting CP.
 
Regarding Morita, it has a lot to do with the structure and the player's will. He's a player we like very much, he's in good form, and at present he's an important player for Sporting CP.”
 
Changes in attack to counter SC Braga's characteristics
“Just like SC Braga, we also don't change our game plan. We might change some players; that's natural, to have different things in terms of attack or defence. Compared to the game against FC Porto match, there are different teams and game plans to face. Strategically, we can look at it differently, but never straying from our game plan. We look at the whole picture. We will face a good, well-organised team, but we also believe that we will create difficulties for SC Braga."
 
SC Braga being fresher because they didn't play in midweek
"I don't know, it's subjective. They had more days of rest, they may have more energy, but that won't be an excuse for the intensity of the game. SC Braga had more days to prepare for the game, they have fresher players, but our ambition and will to win are so great that this will never be an excuse."
 
The matchday
"If Sporting CP win, we will have done our part, which is what's important. We want to have a better second half of the season than the first, which was good but not quite enough. To have an extraordinary second half of the season, we have to win tomorrow. We have to do our part and then understand the consequences. If we don't do our part, the other result doesn't matter.”
 
Zeno Debast returning
“He could be included in the squad. He could have already been included for the game against FC Porto, but he chose not to be because he wasn't in his best condition.”
 
Fotis Ioannidis' situation
“For now, he is out of tomorrow's game.”
 
Luis Suárez’ workload
“Without Fotis, it ends up with us sacrificing Luis a little more, but fortunately we have managed to balance that effort. He's not a player prone to injuries, he's been doing very well and he's a 'tough guy'. In that sense, we are very calm. We would very much like to have Fotis because he would be extremely important at this stage, even to balance out that wear and tear, but it is what it is. I'm not going to complain."
 
Prioritising competitions
"I don't see it that way. I think the team are doing well. Now we'll have three or four more games in a row, but playing on Wednesday I think we can have the team capable of responding. Everyone is prepared to play and that has a lot to do with the team's form and the season, in addition to the strategic aspect of each game. We really want to win tomorrow's game and we really want to win at home against FK Bodø/Glimt, because we want to continue making club history in the UEFA Champions League."
 
Lessons learned from the clash with SC Braga in the first half of the season
"In the second half, SC Braga had better possession, they didn't create much danger, but they ended up equalising with a solo move in the area, a pull back and a penalty. Above all, we are two teams that like to have the ball and it will be a good challenge for both of us. We need to understand what the opposition are good at and be very balanced, both when pressing and when we can't do that. The opposition also deserve credit, but mentally we have to be able to understand all the moments of the game. At Alvalade, we lost our composure without the ball, because SC Braga bring out many midfielders -like Pau Victor, who plays as a number ten and takes away reference points from the defensive line.”

The midfielder speaks about his 150 games for the club

Hidemasa Morita recently reached the milestone of 150 games for Sporting Clube de Portugal. In a conversation with the club's official media, the Japanese midfielder spoke about this symbolic moment and his time at Alvalade so far.

150 games for Sporting CP
"It's incredible. I knew I was close to 150 games, but I hadn't realised it was going to happen in a game against FC Porto. It was very special. I'm very happy, even more so because we won the game at the Estádio José Alvalade. It was a great day."

His first impressions upon arriving at Sporting CP
"I immediately realised it was a huge club. When I was at CD Santa Clara, my goal was to come to this club, and it happened. I remember the first day well."

What it means to play for Sporting CP
"It's a huge pleasure. Being here and playing for this club is incredible."

His first goal scored, against Gil Vicente FC
"Nuno [Santos] tried to shoot and ended up setting me up. I only had to touch the ball to tap it in. I was very happy. The goal itself wasn't anything special, but it's a very good memory. I'll never forget that day."

The atmosphere around the team
"Many players say that this club is not just a club, it's a family. I have no doubt about that. I feel it every day."

The trophies won at the club
"The second league title was even better than the first."

Winning the Taça de Portugal
"It wasn't an easy game - it never is when we play against SL Benfica. The stadium at Jamor is very traditional, it had a special atmosphere and it was a different experience. But we managed to win the cup. I had never won that trophy before, so it was another very special moment."

Friendships in the dressing room
"I have a good relationship with everyone. Today, for example, I plan to have lunch with Zeno [Debast] and Iván [Fresneda]. I love them and feel very comfortable with them."

The celebrations at Marquês de Pombal
"For me, the best moment was when we arrived at Marquês. There were a lot of green lights and an incredible atmosphere. It was a very long night and I couldn't party the whole time [laughs]. Many times I sat on the ground, absorbing everything and applauding."

What Sporting CP represent
"As I said, this club is a family. I can say that from the bottom of my heart. This club is part of me."

Living in Portugal
"I feel very comfortable here. I've been in Portugal for five or six years now and I really enjoy living here. The people are very friendly. Whenever I go to a shopping centre or somewhere else, Sporting CP fans, and even fans of other clubs, come over to talk to me and greet me. I really like the people and also the food. Everything is perfect."

Portuguese food
"I really like pasteis de nata. I even told my wife that when I go back to Japan, maybe I'll open a restaurant selling them there."

His favourite dishes
"Cod isn't really my favourite type of food, but I really like seafood, fish and rice. It's very good."

What he misses most about Japan
"Probably my family. I also often go to Japanese restaurants to eat ramen or sushi."

A message for Sporting CP fans
"Thank you for always supporting us. I feel that we all fight together and that we stand side by side. Even when we don't play well, the fans always support us and spur us on. I just want to say thank you. Let's continue together until the end."