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 attacker speaks ahead of the meeting with FK Bodø/Glimt
In the lead-up to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg, where Sporting Clube de Portugal will try to overcome the 0-3 deficit, Pedro Gonçalves spoke about FK Bodø/Glimt and assured that the team believe in a comeback.
Attitude from the first minute
"It's a game where, in my opinion, we have to go for goals as quickly as possible, but also be strong when defending, because we can't concede. That would complicate things even more. That's why I say we have to attack, but also be careful with the defence, because they are very strong on the counter-attack.
We know we have to come out very strong, pressing, to get to the goal as quickly as possible. It's difficult to score three goals and we know the opposition have a very strong counter-attack. The number 10, Jens Petter Hauge is very good at that, and they arrive with many players in the area. We will also have to be very attentive in the defensive aspects, with everyone inside the area if necessary, because if they score a goal against us it makes things even more complicated. We will give it our all and transmit the best energy from the first minute."
His fitness
"I hope to be at 100 percent. I believe nobody is always at 100 percent, but I will try."
What Sporting CP need to do differently
"Obviously the coach and the analysts have already done their job of seeing what didn't go so well. We did the analysis during the week, we know that our pressure wasn't the best and we want to show that we are a completely different team from the one we were in the first leg."
Probabilities of a comeback in the game
"I believe a lot, the team believe a lot, and the fans believe with us. So we're going to do everything to turn the scoreline around. It's very difficult, and Bodø surprised us a lot, but of course we have to believe. Just as if it were the other way around, they would believe too."
The coach previews the second leg against FK Bodø/Glimt
Sporting Clube de Portugal will face FK Bodø/Glimt this Tuesday at 5:45 PM, in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
In a pre-match press conference, Rui Borges guaranteed that the team fully believes in the possibility of overturning the result from Norway -and reinforced his desire to continue making history for Sporting CP.
Continuing to make history
"I truly believe we can do it. I said this right at the end of the game in Bodø. I know the difficulties will be great, but I have great faith in the individual and collective resilience that this team have demonstrated throughout the season. One game won't define us. The team have shown that they really want to project a different image and demonstrate that we are capable of continuing to positively make a mark on Sporting CP's history, doing something unprecedented and extraordinary.
We know we have to have an almost perfect game, and we will strive for that. The team’s ambition is enormous, and they have demonstrated this from the very beginning, from the first day I arrived at Sporting CP."
Support from the fans
"As Pedro [Gonçalves] was saying, the affection and belief that the fans have shown has been fantastic. If there's a team capable of achieving great things, due to our resilience and responsiveness, it's us. If there's a stadium where extraordinary things can happen, it's ours, and that's largely thanks to the strength provided by our fans. Tomorrow they will certainly be extraordinary as well, so that together we can write another positive chapter in Sporting CP's history."
Luís Guilherme's availability
"Unfortunately, yesterday in the last part of training he suffered a knock. He's being evaluated and we'll see if he can contribute."
A possible contract renewal
"I have a contract until 2027. I'm happy here, and focused on doing something extraordinary together with my players. They deserve it more than anyone."
Fan dissatisfaction with the showing in Bodø
"It's natural. We're at a big club, the demands are enormous, and we really want to keep winning. Neither they nor we were happy, but if we weren't the best in the world for beating PSG, then we're not the worst for one other less successful game. It doesn't erase everything we've shown."
Possible tactical variations from the opponents
"Very honestly, I don't think they'll change anything. That's why I said they didn't surprise me, because we knew very well what they are capable of doing. They’ve won not only against Sporting CP, but against other teams that are contenders to win the competition. They are a truly capable team and in that sense they didn't surprise us. What surprised us was that we weren't able to provide a different response.
It has a lot to do with the intensity with which we do things, individually and collectively, and we weren't able to have the right intensity to neutralise Bodø. We're already halfway through the tie, but there's no point in lamenting anything. We need to see what we weren't able to do and why. We did that over the last few days and we want to give a different response tomorrow. With that resilience, that ambition I was talking about, we'll have to be even more courageous and daring. We'll go for goals, I believe we will score, but we can't concede. We are aware of the difficulty and the dangers we will have to face. The game is 90 minutes long. We will always have the same intensity, but we have to be prepared for all moments that occur in the game."
A lack of ambition in big games
"These are interpretations and opinions. I don't live by statutes, I live by my work. My work speaks for itself. I'm at Sporting CP because of all the competence and work that we, as the coaching staff, have demonstrated.
I would answer with several stats: In offensive terms we are the best team in the league. In Europe we should be too, and at home we are very strong. We finished seventh in the league phase when nobody believed it could happen. As I said, I wasn't the best in the world when we beat PSG, I'm not one of the worst for us losing to Bodø."
Criticism of the postponement of the league game
"The regulations are the same for everyone. We only exercised the right we had. That's all. The idea was to have some rest time, especially since we were coming from games with a high degree of demand, with considerable physical and mental strain."
"It will be a completely different game. It will require more audacity from us, which will expose us at times, but I also know that the players' belief is so great that they will give a fantastic response against a great side, who in terms of intensity of play are one of the best I have ever seen as a coach."
The quality of FK Bodø/Glimt
"They deserve credit for being in the Round of 16 and for winning against teams that are contenders to win the tournament. They deserve to be seen as a great team, capable of competing against any opponents. Football is becoming increasingly demanding individually and collectively, and they keep up with this required intensity. Therefore, at this level, they were one of the best teams I have seen as a coach. Their physical capacity is extraordinary."
The striker shows the team's determination to progress in the Champions League
Sporting CP have to overturn a 3-0 deficit against FK Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday night in order to progress to the quarter finals, but have home advantage to boost their hopes. Ahead of the game at the Estádio José Alvalade, Luis Suárez spoke to Sporting TV to preview the second leg tie.
"It will be a very tough game, but we have belief. Over 90 minutes at home we become a very strong side. We have faith that we will achieve a positive result and advance to the next round," said the striker.
“We’ll be fighting until the end. In recent months, that’s become a phrase we’ve put into practice on the pitch, believing until the very last minute of our games. We’ve shown that we fight until the end before and, therefore, we can do it again,” the Colombian underlined.
Only once have Sporting CP come back in a European tie after being three goals down: That was in 1963/64, in the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup, when the ‘Heróis de 64’ thrashed Manchester United FC 5-0, overcoming the 4-1 defeat suffered in England and going on to win the trophy.
“Everything this club has done in the past serves as inspiration,” said Suárez.
“FK Bodø/Glimt’s strength has come from their fans, but now we have the crowd on our side and we’re at our home stadium, which we know perfectly. Above all, we want to create a magical night to remember,” he stated.
In his debut season for the club, the striker has an impressive 31 goals.
“The quick adaptation I made to the club and my teammates was one of the keys. They trusted in me and I'm repaying that with goals and hard work in every match. The team have the same desire as always to pursue the club's main objectives. The final stretch of the season is approaching, which is the most important thing, and we are prepared,” he assured.
Suárez made an appeal to the fans for Tuesday: “It’s important that we fill the stadium. We know that with them we are much stronger and we have to believe until the end. It’s 90 minutes -or 120-, at home, and we’ll battle until the end.”
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."
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."
