​The coach reflects on a 2-0 win over FC Paços de Ferreira

Rúben Amorim expressed his satisfaction with another triumph for Sporting CP in Liga Portugal, although he admitted that his side did not put in their best performance against FC Paços de Ferreira.

“In the first half there were many balls that we recovered very high up the pitch, with FC Paços de Ferreira left open, and we could have finished those chances off better. We controlled the game well, but at the start we lacked better finishing," he stated in his post-match press conference.

"We didn't give Paços chances, we didn't let them circulate the ball and then we took the lead. At the beginning of the second half, it was obvious to everyone that we had difficulties. Bringing on Ugarte and Marcus Edwards helped, but the whole team improved: We had more of the ball and we controlled the opponents more. This game was a sort of a summary of what this season has been like: There were moments of anxiety, of euphoria, shots hitting the posts and moments in which we controlled things. Players have to understand that a game has several phases.”

"What matters is that we ended up winning and didn't concede. Now we will focus on the next game."

The coach reiterated that he believes the team can win their remaining games this season.

“I'm never calm, because I think the team can always do better, but we're always evolving . I don't feel at ease, but I feel rested because we did our job. Whatever will happen, happens, we just have to focus on ourselves and I believe we can win the next six games.”

“Today the fans demanded more - Sporting CP are always demanding more. I think we had an excellent end to the game against a team that had zero shots on target. It's a good sign when people want more from a team that had several chances to score and that controlled the game. It is a sign of growth for the team and the club. We always have to do better."

Amorim also addressed the controversy surrounding the penalty awarded to Sporting CP.

“If people say that our coaching staff manage to make Sporting CP benefit from refereeing, then that is a miracle and a compliment they are paying us. The referee went to VAR, rescinded Paulinho's yellow card for simulation and gave a penalty. It didn't change the content of the game, which continued to be the same throughout the match."

Sporting CP strike twice without response at home to FC Paços de Ferreira

Sporting Clube de Portugal hosted FC Paços de Ferreira on Matchday 28 of the Liga Portugal season, winning 2-0 at the Estádio José Alvalade. The victory took them three points off the top of the table, with rivals FC Porto taking on CD Santa Clara on Monday night.

The match marked the return from the international break, and Rúben Amorim chose a starting XI of Antonio Adán, Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis, Pedro Porro, João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes, Nuno Santos, Pablo Sarabia , Paulinho and Pedro Gonçalves for the task at hand.

Sporting CP commanded proceedings, with FC Paços de Ferreira able to stifle the channels through to goal in the first 15 minutes. However, persistence paid off and in the 20th minute the home side took the lead with a goal from Pablo Sarabia from the penalty spot. Paulinho had gone down in the box, initially receiving a yellow card for simulation, but VAR corrected the decision and resulted in the awarding of the penalty. Sarabia sent goalkeeper André Ferreira the wrong way from the spot, scoring his 15th goal for the club -his ninth in the league.

After half an hour of play, Sporting CP came close to making it 2-0: First through Paulinho, who had an effort held by André Ferreira, then by Pedro Gonçalves, whose first-time shot off a pass by Pedro Porro went just over.

Antonio Adán was a steady presence in goal in the first half, albeit rarely tested by shots on target.

After the interval, FC Paços de Ferreira looked to equalise, and prevented Sporting CP from creating dangerous situations. Rúben Amorim made a change before the hour, taking off João Palhinha -on a booking- and Pedro Gonçalves, and bringing on Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Edwards.

Both provided a boost for the team, but Sporting CP were struggling to convert their chances into goals. Matheus Nunes, Marcus Edwards and Paulinho came close, and Pablo Sarabia hit the bar with a shot from outside the area.

The second goal finally came in the 72nd minute. Manuel Ugarte played a long pass upfield, and an unmarked Nuno Santos broke into the box to make it 2-0 to Sporting CP.

Pablo Sarabia nearly scored a third, but fired wide from close range. 3-0 on his feet, but the shot went wide. Os Leões claimed an important three points, and now have just under a week in which to prepare for an away fixture against CD Tondela on Saturday at 8:30pm local time.

The coach looks ahead to the return from the international break

Returning to action after the international break, Sporting Clube de Portugal welcome FC Paços de Ferreira on Matchday 28 of the Liga Portugal season.

Coach Rúben Amorim gave a pre-match press conference ahead of the game, and began by commenting on the last two weeks of work and preparation.

"It was a good two weeks. We had players away with their national teams and we also didn't have the opportunity to see some of the kids, because they also went away with the youth national teams -which is a good sign. But we worked well, we had important players from the first team stay here, and that was good for them to get back to their routines and work well to prepare for this game."

"Since César [Peixoto] was appointed as Paços de Ferreira coach, they have picked up 22 or 23 points. They are a team full of confidence that come to Alvalade without any pressure. The pressure is all on us, and we have prepared the game in the best way. We know the difficulties we are going to have and we are prepared to win the game," he told journalists.

Asked whether second place is a given at this stage of the campaign, especially in the event of a victory over FC Paços de Ferreira this weekend, Amorim rejected the idea and reinforced that every match is important.

"We don't take anything for granted because we can drop points at any time. Our focus is on winning every game. We don't drop that many points and we are six points behind first place. FC Porto have dropped even fewer points than us and any game can make a difference. We are always alert, but we don't affirm anything if we don't win, nor do we guarantee anything if we win. We have to win every game if we want the title and we have to win our games to guarantee second place. When it's mathematically guaranteed, we can relax in that sense and just think about the top spot."

Regarding the players at risk of suspension due to the accumulation of yellow cards, Amorim assured that he will field those he considers best for the game.

"All of the players are prepared and I will not keep anyone in reserve. If someone gets a yellow card that takes them out of the next game, I have other players. This is the most important game. We will continue on this path, because we have confidence in the players."

Another of the topics addressed was that of the decision to extend the five substitutions rule, with Amorim revealing that he was in favour of the move.

"It used to be very traditional in that aspect, but I think it's very good for football to have five substitutions available. In terms of our management of the squad, it's also important to have five players who can participate in the game off the bench. I think the five substitutions should stay. It makes perfect sense."

Finally, the coach spoke about the signing of Fatawu Issahaku, an 18-year-old Ghanaian player: "He will, at least, take part in preseason in the summer with us. We believe in him a lot and we have called him up to train with the first team a few times. He has made an adaptation in the B team to grow physically and adapt to the club. We can see that he needs to learn tactical concepts, which is normal for a young player coming from a different kind of football. He has great talent, is very fast and shoots from different spots. He can improve a lot, but it is on him to get into the first team. In my mind, he is a first team player. We believe in him a lot and we did a great job to convince him to come here, knowing that many clubs wanted him."

Sporting CP vs. FC Paços de Ferreira takes place at 8:30pm local time this Sunday, April 3rd, at the Estádio José Alvalade.

​The defender signs a contract extension with Sporting CP

Gonçalo Inácio and Sporting Clube de Portugal have agreed a contract extension for the central defender, running through to 2026 and with a 45 million euros buyout clause. The 20-year-old has been at the club since 2012, making his way up through the ranks before reaching the first team in 2020/2021.

"I've spent many years at the club and it's a huge source of pride to represent Sporting CP and wear this shirt. I feel privileged and I have to keep working hard," he began by telling the media after putting pen to paper on the new deal.

"It's a recognition of how I worked hard to get here. I appreciate the trust placed in me and I will continue to do my best. It's always special to wear the Sporting CP shirt. I have always worked hard, even when I was playing less. I only thought about improving, day after day."
"What I would say to young players is that you always have to believe in your dreams and work as hard as you can, because one day that will be rewarded."

This season, Inácio has been the player with the fourth most minutes to his name (3139), and the most frequently used defender by coach Rúben Amorim. In total, he has played 37 games and scored four goals for Sporting CP this season.

His list of honours includes the Liga Portugal title (2020/2021), two Taças da Liga (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) and a Supertaça de Portugal (2021), but he assured fans that he does not want to stop here: "I want to continue winning trophies, and this is what we are working to do. I watched many Sporting CP games when I was little and now I'm here to give my best and give the fans plenty of joy."

The young refugees are being hosted by the club during the current conflict

A group of Ukrainian children hosted by Sporting Clube de Portugal after they were forced to abandon their country due to the invasion by Russia, joined up with the first team squad for Thursday's training session.

The youngsters watched morning workout at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, getting to watch the players up close. They also had the opportunity to participate in the initial part of the session, exchanging passes with the squad and showing off their skills in front of the goal.

Under the watchful eye of coach Rúben Amorim, the enthusiasm was visible on the faces of the children on an enriching morning for all those involved.

The Ukrainians are being welcomed by Sporting CP and have participated in various initiatives organised by the club.

The team get ready for their next Liga Portugal encounter

Sporting Clube de Portugal returned to work this Tuesday, to begin preparing for their upcoming game on Matchday 28 of the Liga Portugal season. This Sunday, at 8:30pm local time, they host FC Paços de Ferreira at the Estádio José Alvalade.

Coach Rúben Amorim again called up several young players for the training session, including Diego Calai, Gonçalo Costa, José Marsà, Edu Pinheiro, Gilberto Batista, Hevertton Santos, Renato Veiga, Miguel Menino, Vando Félix and Nicolai Skoglund. Pedro Porro underwent treatment for his injury.

The team will train again on Wednesday (10:30am), behind closed doors, at the Academia Sporting.

Several young players are brought up to work with the first team

The Sporting Clube de Portugal squad returned to training at the Academia Sporting on Tuesday, with several players away on international duty.

Absent were Sebastián Coates (Uruguay), Gonçalo Inácio and Matheus Nunes (Portugal), Islam Slimani (Algeria), Pablo Sarabia (Spain), Dário Essugo (Portugal Under-19s) and Gonçalo Esteves (Portugal Under-18s), representing their respective countries. In light of this, coach Rúben Amorim invited several youngsters from the youth setup to the session.

Pedro Porro was present but did not participate in the session, instead undergoing treatment.

Os Leões train again on Wednesday morning, behind closed doors.

The coach reflects on a 1-3 win away at Vitória SC

After the final whistle in Guimarães, where Sporting CP beat Vitória SC 1-3 in Liga Portugal action, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the match in his post-match press conference.

"We started the game well, with a lot of possession, getting to the line to cross and controlling how Vitória SC's brought the ball out. We ended up conceding a goal that they hadn't really deserved, but we got back to being the team we wanted to be. We had opportunities to equalise and we did so with a penalty before halftime, which was very important," he began by telling journalists at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques.

"In the second half we didn't begin things so well, but then we had an excellent period in which we pegged Vitória SC back, with good balls between the lines and playing with quality. Pedro Gonçalves coming on helped us in that sense, and we scored the second goal. We could have had more of the ball, and the stoppage didn't help us."

"Marcus Edwards's goal, killed off the game. It was a fair victory," summarised Amorim, who again hailed the impact of Gonçalves."

"We had an idea of what we could change, but the game required things and we tried to get the substitutions right. I felt that Slimani was lacking energy, so we changed the characteristics and Gonçalves is very strong between the lines."

Of the title race, the coach emphasised that "it's important to be in the fight until the end, but only one team will win. It's not easy for FC Porto to drop points, but the team always believe that it's possible, because there are still many points up for grabs. It's a roller coaster of emotions, we have our hopes and last year we were on the other side of the equation. we are looking to see who slips up first. What we have to do is win our games to have hope."

"It's not worth thinking about it too much, we have to get better. Today we were more complete than in Moreira de Cónegos and that makes me happy. It was an important and fair victory."

The team recover from a first half goal to win 1-3 on the road

In their final game before the international break, Sporting Clube de Portugal won 1-3 away to Vitória SC on Matchday 27 of the Liga Portugal season.

Despite going behind, the team left Guimarães with all three points after an extremely demanding game. Pablo Sarabia made it 1-1 just before the break and Paulinho, in the 70th minute, confirmed the turnaround, which would be completed in stoppage time with a great goal from Marcus Edwards.

With an almost full squad available, minus the suspended Zouhair Feddal, coach Rúben Amorim made four changes to his starting XI: Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Santos, Ricardo Esgaio and Pablo Sarabia began the match, with Luís Neto and Marcus Edwards - facing their former team - returning to the substitutes' bench and Pedro Porro a late withdrawal.

At the always demanding Estádio D. Afonso Henriques – where Vitória SC had only lost one of their last nine games – no easy task was expected for Os Leões. Their opponents were the sixth-placed team in the league bolstered by victories achieved in their two previous rounds.

Before kick-off, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21st), the two teams combined for a joint photo as part of the league's "Racismo Não" campaign, which will run throughout the matchday. In addition, each player appeared on the pitch with two stripes on their face – a symbol of equality.

Comfortable with the ball and taking the initiative, Sporting CP alternated between patient build-ups and long shots to break down the defence. They monopolised possession in the first ten minutes, but it would be Rochinha, from the home team, who enjoyed the opening opportunity, saved by Antonio Adán.

In response, Sebastián Coates headed over off a corner kick, and Sporting CP upped their opportunities: Sarabia had two good chances, shooting straight at Bruno Varela and then running the ball too long.

Vitória SC opened the scoring through Óscar Estupiñan, who broke inside from the edge of the area and sent the ball into the net.

The match picked up pace, with Slimani having an effort saved by the goalkeeper. As the intensity also increased, a tangle between Abdul Mumin and Paulinho saw the home team's coach Pepa sent to the stands before the half-hour.

The siege of Vitória SC's area would be rewarded when Sporting CP won a penalty for handball by Alfa Semedo. Sarabia converted from the spot for his 14th goal of the season, putting his side back on terms.

In the second period, Amorim introduced the returning Pedro Gonçalves in place of Slimani, and the impact was immediate. First, Paulinho – who moved to the centre of the forward line – came close to scoring through a lob of the goalkeeper. Then, on the next move, only a touch of a promising low cross by Matheus Nunes was lacking.

Clearly on top, Sporting CP pushed the home team back into the final third, creating opportunities in a fluid way, but without the effectiveness to take full advantage.

It was not until the 70th minute that the reigning champions took the lead, and Paulinho was the man to provide it. Assisted by Pedro Gonçalves, the forward successfully struck to make it 1-2.

After a delay due to an incident in the stands, the dynamic of the contest changed, due to Vitória SC's need to find an equaliser. They accumulated crosses into Adán's area, which the goalkeeper fended off successfully.

In turn, looking to kill off the match, Amorim introduced Luís Neto, João Palhinha and Marcus Edwards onto the pitch in one fell swoop, accompanied later by Daniel Bragança.

In one of the nine minutes of stoppage time, Edwards put the result beyond all doubt, striking beautifully from outside the box against his former club.

The 1-3 win takes Sporting CP to 67 points. After three consecutive away games, they return to Alvalade to face FC Paços de Ferreira on April 3rd, after the international break.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Ricardo Esgaio, Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates [C], Matheus Reis, Nuno Santos (Luís Neto, 85'), Manuel Ugarte (João Palhinha, 85'), Matheus Nunes (Daniel Bragança, 90+6'), Pablo Sarabia (Marcus Edwards, 85'), Paulinho and Islam Slimani (Pedro Gonçalves, 54').

The coach prepares for the game against Vitória SC

Sporting Clube de Portugal travel to the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques this Saturday, for an away game against Vitória SC.

In the pre-match press conference, coach Rúben Amorim began by responding to a question about the possibility of Os Leões reaching four consecutive games without conceding in Guimarães -their best run of the season.

"Not conceding goals, and the fact that we usually score, brings us closer to winning. Everything matters, such as how we attack and preparing for transitions. The focus should not be on not conceding goals, but rather on scoring and playing the way we want. We defend well, and most of the time play high up the pitch, and we are very focused", he said.

Amorim also revealed that he had not asked Marcus Edwards, the player signed from Vitória SC in the winter, for information about the opponents.

“I left the scouting to the coaching staff, because we already know Vitória SC well and we've played several times against Pepa's teams, which have their own identity. Of course, players change and the fact that Edwards is on our side now also helps, because he was a very dangerous player whenever we went up against them. There was no special talk with Edwards, because the focus is always on our team. Edwards is still in his adaptation phase and that has been our focus," underlined the coach.

All of the squad are available for the game, making selection tricky for the coach. "It is perhaps one of the most difficult games in terms of picking the side. Obviously, everything becomes a little clearer as the week progresses, but we take into account the last game, the characteristics of Vitória SC and how training has been during the week. There are many players who should be starters, but they won't be,” he stated, before adding that: "Another factor to take into account, and which this year has already been proven, is that we also need to think about how we are going to handle options on the bench. Now we have more solutions and we will field the best team for this game."

Finally, Amorim reaffirmed his confidence in the team for the remainder of the season. "We know that we are at a disadvantage in Liga Portugal, but it is not worth us doing a lot of maths right now. We want to play better and better and win every game that remains. We have to win practically all of them to still have a chance at the title. In the Taça de Portugal, anything can happen, so everyone's focus is on enjoying success, knowing that in the end it may or may not happen. But we have to do our part, play well and get better."