Returning fullback presented as new No.47

Despite having already worked with Rúben Amorim at his previous club, the defender believes that he will receive no special treatment -not least because the coach fields those who work best during the week.

"Any player who is at Sporting CP deserves to play. We know that under Rúben Amorim those who work well, play, whether they are Player A, B or C. This is very good, because any player who works well is always prepared to play. There are no individuals who are above the collective, and this was apparent last season. We all start at the same level, and then it's up to the manager to decide. We will all work hard to help the team in the best way," he assured.

Finally, Esgaio addressed the fans, commenting that "I appreciate the fantastic support you have given me in recent days. It has been amazing. Thank you very much."

Monday was a busy day for the returning squad

After completing the customary physical and medical examinations during Monday morning, the Sporting Clube de Portugal squad took to the pitch in the afternoon for their first preseason training session.

Coach Rúben Amorim put the players through their paces on their return from the summer break, with ball work involved as well as a series of cardio drills.

The 23-man group will be back at the Academia Sporting on Tuesday for another session, held behind closed doors.

Rúben Amorim's squad undertake medicals on Monday morning

The Sporting Clube de Portugal squad returned from a summer break to start their 2021/22 preseason this Monday, with the customary medical examinations and fitness tests with the Performance and Medical departments beginning proceedings.

Some 23 players were present:Antonio Adán, Luís Maximiano, André Paulo, Diego Callai, Pedro Porro, Vitorino Antunes, Zouhair Feddal, Tiago Ferreira, Gonçalo Inácio, Luís Neto, Eduardo Quaresma, Daniel Bragança, Matheus Nunes, Paulinho, Rodrigo Fernandes, Dário Essugo, Bruno Tabata, Jovane Cabral, Nuno Santos, Tiago Tomás, Pedro Marques, Joelson Fernandes and Flávio Nazinho.

Matheus Reis is in isolation, due to his having travelled from Brazil, whilst João Palhinha, Nuno Mendes and Pedro Gonçalves (Portugal), Sebastián Coates (Uruguay) and Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador) are still away with their respective national teams after participation in Euro 2020 and the Copa America tournaments.

The opening training session for the squad takes place on Monday afternoon.

New kit supplier for "Leões"

Sporting Clube de Portugal's 2021/2022 season gets underway this week with a return to the training ground and the incorporation of a very special 'guest': Sportswear manufacturer Nike. Through its social media accounts, the club have welcomed the new Official Kit Supplier, which has joined forces with Sporting CP as of this summer.

The 'unboxing' of Sporting CP's new training kit was made by the first team players this Monday as they got back to work, with a box left in the dressing room containing the new apparel.

On July 1st -the 115th anniversary of Sporting Clube de Portugal's existence- the club will reveal the new first team kit to members and fans.

The first to wear and publicise the new shirt will be all those who took up the pre-sale reservation option during the 'Believe' blind-sale campaign.

The club thank all members and fans for their support, and are looking forward to a stylish and successful new season.

The midfielder is part of the best XI voted on by his peers

Pedro Gonçalves has become the sixth Sporting Clube de Portugal player named in the 2020/21 Liga NOS Team Of The Year, voted on by coaches and captains of top flight teams in Portugal.

In his debut season with the club, Gonçalves had an immediate and decisive impact, scoring a total of 23 goals. He was Liga NOS' top scorer in the campaign, and also provided a further 2 assists.

A constant presence in the starting XI, he played 32 league games -in which he was named Man Of The Match on eight occasions.

As a result of his remarkable season at the Estádio José Alvalade, Gonçalves has taken another step forward in his career with a first callup for the Portuguese national team, and is part of the squad selected by coach Fernando Santos for this summer's Euro 2020 tournament.

Twice the winner of the Player Of The Month award in Liga NOS, and three times Midfielder of the Month, 'Pote' joins Antonio Adán, Pedro Porro, Sebastián Coates, Nuno Mendes and João Palhinha in being part of the Team Of The Year.

The Sporting CP captain was one of the standouts in 2020/21

Sebastián Coates has been chosen in the Team Of The Season for the 2020/21 Liga NOS season, it was announced this past Sunday by the league's governing body. The Sporting Clube de Portugal defender came out on top in the voting carried out amongst coaches and captains of the top flight sides from the campaign.

At the age of 30, Coates captained the team to their first national title in 19 years, and was almost an ever-present in the season, playing 33 of the 34 Liga NOS matches. Along the way, he won the Man Of The Match award on three occasions.

The defender was magnificent throughout the year, as a crucial component of the side that conceded the fewest goals. Sporting CP would ship just 20 over the course of the season, whilst Coates would also contribute goals of his own: He found the net on five occasions, including some late winners and equalisers.

A three-time winner of the Defender of the Month award, he was also named Liga NOS Player of the Month for April.

Coates joins teammates Antonio Adán and Pedro Porro in the league's Team Of The Season.

Liga NOS honour the Spanish defender for his performances

Pedro Porro has been included in Liga NOS' Team Of The Season for 2020/21, in recognition of a breakout season for the young Spaniard.

The Sporting Clube de Portugal player was chosen in the voting by coaches and captains of every side in the Portuguese top flight. His inclusion was announced this past Saturday.

In his first season at the club, Porro had an immediate impact and became a mainstay on the right of the defence, playing 30 Liga NOS games and winning two Man Of The Match awards. He also contributed three goals and four assists.

Strong performances throughout the season allowed Porro to be called up for the Spanish national team, earning his first cap for 'La Roja.'

After having being named Defender of the Month in the league three times, Pedro Porro is now awarded the right back a spot in the Team Of The Season.

Mendes, Palhinha and Gonçalves receive Euro 2020 call-ups

Sporting Clube de Portugal will provide three players for the Portuguese national team in this summer's European Championship tournament, scheduled to get underway in June.

Nuno Mendes, João Palhinha and Pedro Gonçalves are the three members of Os Leões named on the 26-man squad list, announced by coach Fernando Santos on Thursday.

Mendes and Palhinha retain places in the squad, whilst Pedro Gonçalves receives a first senior call-up. He recently finished the Liga NOS season as top goalscorer in the competition.

Portugal are part of Group F in Euro 2020, and will face Hungary (June 15th), Germany (June 19th) and France (June 23rd) in their defence of their title.

The Sporting CP coach summed up a great 2020/21 season

At the end of the 5-1 victory against CS Marítimo that concluded Sporting Clube de Portugal's season, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the game and the 2020/2021 season for his team of champions.

"It was a game that we wanted to win. We wanted to sign off with a good showing after the defeat in the previous game. Pedro Gonçalves won the award for top scorer and João Pereira ended his career on the pitch. He had an excellent career and gave us a lot. We ended things in the best way," he told journalists at the Auditorio Artur Agostinho.

After guaranteeing that "next season has been planned for some time" and that Sporting CP "have a clear idea of what they want", Amorim commented on the possibility of some of his players being called up by Portugal coach Fernando Santos for the European Championships this summer, starting with Pedro Gonçalves.

"He deserves to be in there and so do others at Sporting CP. The choice is up to the coach, who will choose well. If Sporting CP players are picked, I will be very happy. If they are not picked, I will also be happy, because they will have great careers and won't be worn out."

Looking ahead to 2021/2022, the coach defined the first objective for his squad: to win the Supertaça.

"There is the Supertaça to win and from there we will go game-by-game, again. We will not have as much time to prepare for our games next season. We will have difficult competitions to play in. I don't want to set big goals for us. We will want to win every game. We are candidates to win the Supertaça and we will work with that in mind first."

"It is important to maintain our unity because it is one of the great strengths of Sporting CP, but we know that it comes from winning. There are three possible results that you can have. Everyone has to think that the team as a whole is the most important thing and we will pay a lot of attention to who we bring in to identify with this idea. They have to believe that they can be starters and if that happens the whole team will be motivated", he added.

Going back to João Pereira, Amorim wished success to his former teammate and player in his future endeavours.

"It was special to witness the end of his career, because I have known João since I was a kid. I played with him at junior level, we had holidays together and our families know each other well. It was strange to have João Pereira call me 'coach' and speak to me formally."

"He will not be part of my coaching staff. He will forge his own career and he will find his own coaching staff. I already have my team. He will follow his own path and we are here to help him in this transition, which is difficult. We will help João with his new life and he will be very happy."

Finally, Amorim was asked to choose three words to define the campaign.

"Effort, Dedication and Devotion, and then the fourth, which is Glory. The team are the manifestation of those words. I thank my players and the staff, who did an incredible job. In a month's time it will start all over again, and no one will be thinking about this title. I think that's a good thing; it's the way that things are at a big club."

The defender enjoys his final minutes in the game against CS Marítimo

The end of the 2020/21 season coincided with the end of the playing career of João Pereira, who made his final appearance playing 59 minutes at the Estádio José Alvalade against CS Marítimo.

The 37-year-old right back calls time on his playing days after a career that included three spells at Sporting CP: 2010-2012, 2015-17, and a final four-month stint when he rejoined the club from Turkish side Trabzonspor in February of this season.

In total, Pereira made 154 official appearances for Os Leões, as well as representing SL Benfica, Gil Vicente FC and SC Braga in Portugal, Valencia CF in Spain, Hannover 96 in Germany and Trabzonspor from 2017-2020. He also earned 40 caps for the Portuguese national team.

"I have to thank Sportinguistas for everything they gave me. It's a pleasure to play for this club. Unfortunately, I didn't win as many titles as I would like to, but I have finished my career in the best way possible," he told Sporting TV after the final whistle, as he received an homage on the pitch from his teammates.

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