The goalkeeper speaks in the Algarve

The work for Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lagos, Algarve, continues apace as they prepare for the upcoming 2022/2023 season. This Saturday, goalkeeper Antonio Adán spoke at the training camp.

"We are on the right path for what we are looking for from this preseason. I think this year the games are more demanding than in previous years; there are many young players and many new faces that are having to assimilate the ideas, but I think we are responding well," he reflected.

"The integration by players to Sporting CP is always good. We have a great group, which makes everyone fit in. Take Francisco Trincão: He is a fantastic guy, who has come in from abroad, from Barcelona, and knows what it's like to be inserted into new groups, knows Portugal and knows several of the players in the squad. It's easy for him and for all who come from outside."

Adán also praised Franco Israel, his understudy as goalkeeper for the team.

"All those who make up the squad are fighting for a place to play. He's come from a big club like Juventus FC, and you can see that. He has very good technique when it comes to his positioning, which is very important for what Sporting CP require. The club have the responsibility to win each game, and he brings that mentality too."

Looking ahead to 2022/2023, the experienced 35-year-old Spaniard stressed that the focus is currently on preseason. "We want to prepare for each training session and each game in order to be ready for the game against SC Braga, which as the first match is also the most important. From then on, we'll go game by game, as always."

Finally, Adán took stock of his career at Sporting CP to date, before the start of his third season with the club.

“The first year we were league champions, and the following year we finished second and competed in the UEFA Champions League. Playing regularly was one of the things I was looking for here."

“I was confident that I could offer good performance. I'm very happy to have renewed my contract, and I have the enthusiasm of a young man to be here for a long time, corresponding with the goals of Sporting CP," he concluded.

“Estava confiante de que podia dar um bom rendimento e assim foi. Estou muito feliz pela renovação [de contrato] e tenho o entusiasmo de um jovem para estar aqui muito tempo, correspondendo aos objectivos do Sporting CP", concluiu o guardião.

Sporting CP draw positives from their 1-1 stalemate

Close to 24 hours after a 1-1 draw with Royale Union Saint-Guilloise, Sporting Clube de Portugal had another game and another stalemate - this time with Villarreal CF. Os Leões performed at a high level against last season's Champions League semifinalists, and took the lead in the first half through Pedro Gonçalves. However, a goal conceded in the 76th minute meant the game ended 1-1.

The previous day, several new faces and a lot of young talent from the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo had featured. On Thursday, coach Rúben Amorim chose a starting XI composed of several of the most frequently used players. New signing Francisco Trincão and youngster Rodrigo Ribeiro were on the bench for the first time in the Algarve, joined by goalkeepers Franco Israel and André Paulo and youth players Hevertton Santos, Diogo Travassos, Dário Essugo and Renato Veiga.

The first opportunities on goal arrived immediately, and Villarreal CF came very close when Antonio Adán made a save and Manu Trigueros put the rebound wide. Sporting CP's response didn't take long in coming, and before the eight minute mark a pass by Gonçalves was not quite finished off by Paulinho in the six-yard-box.

Then Etienne Capoue and Trigueros, for the Spaniards, and Gonçalves for Sporting CP, tried their luck from mid-range, but without success. The opening fifteen minutes saw quick and constant approaches by both sides, with Sporting CP the more patient in possession.

Gonçalves shot wide off a beautiful move, then finally made it 1-0 moments later. Cutting inside with a feint, he struck from close to the 'D' with a shot that went in off the post.

Paulinho and Nuno Santos also had good opportunities, but the score remained 1-0 at half-time.

When the two teams came back out for the second half, Villarreal enjoyed a chance in the 51st minute, but Adán covered well to save.

From the hour mark onwards, various substitutions began to be made by both teams. Dário Essugo, Hevertton Santos and Francisco Trincão were first in for Sporting CP, Gonçalo Inácio, Manuel Ugarte and Matheus Nunes coming off. Esgaio moved to the midfield three and Tabata retreated to the middle.

Misplaced passes increased as the match drew to a close, and the pace was clearly slower, but Sporting CP continued to have more of the ball, trying to keep the game under control. They would be caught out, however, from a long pass that Alex Baena latched onto for an unexpected equaliser.

The team will remain in Lagos until July 20th, but before that they will play AS Roma on July 19th.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK] [C], Ricardo Esgaio, Gonçalo Inácio (Hevertton Santos 65'), José Marsà, Matheus Reis, Nuno Santos, Manuel Ugarte (Dário Essugo 65'), Matheus Nunes (Francisco Trincão 65') , Pedro Gonçalves (Renato Veiga 87'), Bruno Tabata and Paulinho (Rodrigo Ribeiro 78').

The winger strengthens Os Leões on loan with an option to buy

Sporting  Clube de Portugal have signed Francisco Trincão on loan From FC Barcelona for the 2022/23 season, with an option to buy the player. The Portuguese international has previously represented SC Braga in Portugal and English side Wolverhampton Wanderers -the latter on a loan deal last season.

The 22-year-old was unveiled on Wednesday, and expressed his satisfaction with the move, saying: "I am very happy to be here, as it is something that I've wanted for a while that has finally come through. I think that it was the right decision, and I am here to perform at my best and help the club to the fullest."

Trincão will be reunited with former teammates Paulinho and Ricardo Esgaio, as well as coach Rúben Amorim, under whom he played at SC Braga.

"The coach being here helped a lot with my decision, but Sporting CP have always been a huge club. The coach, the club, the squad, the fans and everything else surrounding Sporting CP are my main reasons for coming here."

The move is also a return to Portugal, after experiences in Spain and England, and the winger believes that he is a better player than when he left his homeland originally.

"I think that I have grown a lot in recent years, and that is going to help me now. I want to continue to develop and give everything in every training session and game. I will give for Sporting CP to do as well as possible."

Finally, he sent out a message to Sportinguistas, stating that: "They should get behind us and support us, because we are going to do everything for them. We want to give them a lot of joy this season."

Trincão has won a Taça da Liga (2019/2020), a Taça do Rei (2020/2021) and an Under-19s European Championships (2018), in which he was the top goalscorer and assist provider. He has been capped by Portugal at senior level on seven occasions.

The team will hold a training camp in southern Portugal over the coming days

Sporting Clube de Portugal have begun their preseason training camp in Lagos, Algarve, where they will prepare for the 2022/23 season.

After captain Sebastián Coates talked to journalists, the first 15 minutes of the session were opened up to the media and divided the squad into three groups. Coach Rúben Amorim had 30 players with which to work, whilst defender Jeremiah St. Juste continued to undergo treatment.

At the end of training, the squad and coaching staff gathered to send a strong message of support to Daniel Bragança, the midfielder who is now facing a long spell out due to injury.

The captain speaks at the start of the training camp in the Algarve

Before the first training session for Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lagos in the Algarve, captain Sebastián Coates spoke to journalists about the preparation for the new season.

However, first of all he began by sending "a big hug to Daniel Bragança," who is facing a long absence through injury, adding: "The group is all with him and we wish him a good recovery, so that he can come back stronger than ever."

The Uruguayan defender immediately outlined the main objectives for 2022/23, saying that "To prepare for the season, we have brought in new players -and we have to make them adapt to the ideas of the coach and the team as quickly as possible. This group is spectacular. We are all very happy to be part of Sporting CP and we are focused on preparing for what lies ahead."

One of the reinforcements is his fellow countryman, goalkeeper Franco Israel.

"I immediately got in touch with him to clarify all the questions that he had, and it's always good to have a compatriot there when you join a team. The first things he asked were about the club, the group and the work that we do."

Despite being asked about Sporting CP's goals for 2022/2023, the defender preferred to keep the focus on the immediate task at hand: Preparation for the new season.

"Right now, our goal is to prepare for the season so that we are in the best shape possible when the first game comes around. Then our focus is to go game by game, as we always say. Now we want to get in shape for what lies ahead."

Asked to also talk about the edition of O Clássico scheduled for Matchday 3, Coates reinforced the focus on preseason, stating that "Before that we have SC Braga and Rio Ave FC to play. We are only focused on preseason, and after that we will think about the first game.

The Sporting CP squad work out on Friday

Sporting Clube de Portugal trained at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo this Friday, with the session marking the first appearance of new recruit Rochinha.

The summer signing was put through his paces by coach Rúben Amorim, as were the rest of the first team and several youth players. Renato Veiga, Hevertton Santos, Diogo Travassos, Youssef Chermiti , Mateus Fernandes, José Marsà, Dário Essugo, Luís Gomes and Diego Calai were all called up for the session.

Jeremiah St. Juste, who continues to undergo treatment, was the only player absent.

The squad will train again on Saturday morning.

A Thursday session saw players work on fitness and skills

Sporting Clube de Portugal returned to training at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday, continuing with preparations for the 2022/2023 season.

As has been customary in this initial phase, several fitness drills were included in the session alongside ball work.

Jeremiah St. Juste continued undergoing treatment, whilst new signing Rochinha undertook a specific fitness programme.

Rúben Amorim once again called up several youngsters to train with the first team, with Vando Félix, Luís Gomes, Youssef Chermiti and Diego Calai all getting their opportunity to work alongside the coach.

Before the start of the session, the 75 children who are attending the Férias Academia Sporting summer campus in Alcochete were greeted by the players.

The winger joins through to 2026

Rochinha has become Sporting Clube de Portugal's latest signing for 2022/2023. The 27-year-old winger, who has spent the last four seasons at Vitória SC, signed a contract through to 2026 with a buyout clause of 45 million euros.

“Signing for Sporting CP brings me great joy. This was the right step to take in my career and I am very happy to belong to this team and this family. Now it's up to me to give everything I have on a day-to-day basis to help the group to the fullest,” he began by saying in his presentation on Wednesday.

“When they told me about the possibility of coming here, I was immediately very excited and I'm glad that it happened. I hope that in time the Sportinguistas will say it was good for them too. Sporting CP are the club with the highest level among those I've represented and I hope to live up to expectations. I want to help the squad to achieve their goals."

Before moving to Guimarães, where he rose to the role of captain, the forward also had experiences at Boavista FC, Standard de Liège in Belgium, and at Bolton Wanderers in England, which makes him feel prepared to face the responsibilities of playing at a big club.

“At Vitória SC, the demand from the fans was very high, but here it is even greater because there are no excuses; You have to win, win and win. I think that's the requirement I needed at this point in my career and I'm focused on doing my best", he stressed, also expressing his excitement about the idea of playing in the UEFA Champions League and working under Rúben Amorim.

“The image I had of the coach from the outside was already very good, and my first contact with him was also very good. He's a coach you want to work with and now I want to seize this opportunity."

Rochinha is one of the many Portuguese players at the club, and he praised the coach's commitment to homegrown products.

“There is a lot of talent in Portugal, and even the young teams have gone a long way in big competitions. This proves the quality that exists in our country and it is important that the coach tries to make the most of it. It has been bringing results and that is very good for the club."

Rochinha also highlighted the fact that he has been reunited with Nuno Santos and Marcus Edwards, two players with whom he had already played and who will facilitate his integration into the squad.

“Knowing Marcus and Nuno will help me a lot in this early stage of my time here. Also, I've come across many of the other players before, and that's important because they'll be able to help me as much as possible with adapting. Even the players I didn't know have been impeccable in their welcome, and helped me with everything on this first day, so I have to thank them for that too."

In closing, the new signing gave a message to Sporting CP's partners and supporters.

“You can expect a lot of work, dedication and demand from me on a daily basis. I will always be focused as much as possible on making Sportinguistas happy, as that's what I'm here for."

The Uruguayan goalkeeper signs in the summer transfer market

Franco Israel has been signed by Sporting Clube de Portugal on a five-year contract, joining with a buyout clause of 45 million euros.

The Uruguayan goalkeeper arrives at the club after four seasons with Italian side Juventus FC. He was presented on Tuesday afternoon, in an event that was also attended by club president Frederico Varandas.

"I'm very happy to be here. This is one of the biggest clubs in Portugal and I'm looking forward to starting training with my teammates and playing," he told Sporting CP media.

His interview was interrupted by a call from one such teammate: fellow countryman Manuel Ugarte, with whom he played in the Uruguayan Under-20s side. Israel revealed that he spoke with his friend "from the first moment" that the opportunity to strengthen Sporting CP arose.

In Lisbon, the goalkeeper will be captained by another compatriot: Sebastián Coates.

"I didn't know Seba [Coates] personally, but I also spoke to him," he said, before commenting on what it will be like alongside the experienced Antonio Adán: "Working with [Antonio] Adán means working with one of the best Spanish goalkeepers, someone who played for Real Madrid CF and Atletico Madrid and who has been doing very well at Sporting CP. For me, working with a goalkeeper of his level helps me a lot. It's very important."

"I come here with great enthusiasm and I will give everything every day to win trophies. I know the importance of the club", he guaranteed.

In 2021/2022, Franco Israel was the starting goalkeeper for Juventus FC's Under-23 team, playing 38 matches. He was also named on the substitutes' bench for the first team. He has also featured for Club Nacional de Football, one of Uruguay's most prominent teams, and been capped at Under-17 and Under-20 level.

The squad play practice matches against Casa Pia AC and UD Vilafranquense

Sporting Clube de Portugal played two 60-minute training games on Monday at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, as their preseason picks up pace.

In the first, against Casa Pia AC, Os Leões drew 1-1, with a team consisting of Antonio Adán, Luís Neto, José Marsà, Matheus Reis, Diogo Travassos, Dário Essugo, Daniel Bragança, Fatawu, Bruno Tabata, Pedro Gonçalves and Youssef Chermiti. Sporting CP's goal was scored by Pedro Gonçalves.

In the afternoon, against UD Vilafranquense, Sporting CP won 1-0, fielding André Paulo, Ricardo Esgaio, Chico Lamba, Flávio Nazinho, Hevertton Santos, Hidemasa Morita, Mateus Fernandes, Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards, Luís Gomes and Paulinho . Marcus Edwards scored the only goal of the match.

The squad return to training this Wednesday, after a day off.