The squad train ahead of their Friday night fixture

Sporting Clube de Portugal held a training session at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo in Alcochete this Wednesday.

The squad continued their preparations for their return to Liga Portugal action, scheduled for Friday at 8:15 pm away to FC Arouca.

Although some of the players who were on national team duty have already returned, coach Rúben Amorim once again called up several youngsters from the academy to train: Rafael Besugo, Luís Gomes, Bruno Ramos, Kauã Oliveira, Miguel Alves, Lucas Anjos, José Silva, Denilson Santos, Diogo Clara and Guilherme Pires.

The Thursday press conference to preview the match will start at 12:30 pm on Thursday.

The coach holds a press conference before the game against FC Arouca

Sporting Clube de Portugal travel to FC Arouca this Friday for Matchday 5 of the Liga Portugal season. In his press conference ahead of the match, coach Rúben Amorim began by discussing the opposition's loss of their two main attacking players: Rafa Mujica and Cristo González.

“Cristo and Mujica had a huge impact on their attacking ability. I said last year that they were one of the best teams in terms of playing football, because they were very good at making decisions, using one or two touches. Cristo is, in my opinion, a player with great skill, he will be sorely missed and it’s a shame that coaches lose players like that -when they can no longer do anything in the transfer market. Mujica’s attacking up top was very good, but I think Henrique [Araújo] also has that and, therefore, that characteristic remains. Obviously, Mujica is a bit more wily, let's say, but I think Henrique has great potential and quality," he explained.

"Cristo is very difficult to replace and I think that is an advantage for us, but there will be another player there. Pedro Santos, who had a great season last year and can play in that position. There may be some changes and we will be prepared for that," continued the coach.

"FC Arouca are a team that maintain one characteristic: They like to have the ball and they like to press. They had a great season last year. David Simão cannot be given much space, because he launches the team forward and they attack well from deep. I am sure it will be a very difficult game and we will be prepared for it."

Regarding the closing of the transfer window, he made a final assessment of Sporting CP's movements over the summer.

"Clearly, we cannot complain. We have lowered the average age of the squad, we are already preparing for the future, we currently have players and, if we look at the positions as a whole, we have a more complete squad, with potential and prepared for the present and future of Sporting CP."

“This transfer market has just closed and Viktor Gyokeres is still with us. We had a plan for a player to come in already made and if we didn't manage it, that is part of our life. If we didn't manage to get that player, Conrad Harder, we had a plan and a list of potential players. We looked at him. We went for a player with potential. We don't want a second Viktor; that would be impossible and a mistake. What we wanted was a player with similar characteristics, so that if something happens to Viktor, the team don't have to change their characteristics. He's not just a supporting player with no depth, because that would confuse the team. We looked at the list of potential players we have here and who can guarantee the same way of playing, and Conrad was at the top of the list. There was an English Premier League club that offered more than us, so you can see the world of difference that exists. We looked at Conrad's potential, what he can give us now, and he does not change the characteristics of our way of playing”.

He said that the Danish forward could play as early as Friday, whilst Franco Israel should be the starting goalkeeper. The list of unavailable players is Kovačević, St. Juste, Rafael Nel and Diogo Pinto, whilst the internationals are back in Lisbon.

“I was happy that they were called up and were involved for their countries. As for whether they will be used, that depends on the coach and the games. I always hope that they come back without injuries, and that happened."

He also commented on the expectations for the club this year.

“Since last year I said that we wanted to be champions, and that is the objective this season too. In the first year we were underdogs, but from then on I always remember saying that we were candidates for the title. We really wanted to be two-time champions, because we hadn't been for 70 years and I think it was an important step for our club. We saw in this market: The fact that a club are in the UEFA Champions League completely changes the scenario, so we want to continue like this. We know that the work is not done, we want to be Champions again, we want to return to the UEFA Champions League to keep as many of our players as possible."

Regarding the statements made by club president Frederico Varandas at the Thinking Football Summit, an event organised by Liga Portugal, in which he said that the coach should be given a lot of credit for the appreciation of the footballers, Amorim gave credit to the entire structure. As for whether he would sign a new contract with Sporting CP right now, he commented that: “I have a contract with Sporting CP, I am very happy here, but it was the work of everyone and the president also said that. It is unfair to talk only about the coach, the director, the president... There is a group of people here who help the players to develop. I would say that the merit goes to everyone, as the president also said."

The homegrown star signs a new deal with Sporting CP

Geovany Quenda has renewed his contract with Sporting Clube de Portugal through to 2027, with a buyout clause raised to 100 million euros.

The homegrown talent talked about his decision on Thursday, after putting pen to paper on the deal.

“Sporting CP are the club that are in my heart. It is always an honour to renew my contract with this great club and I will continue working hard,” said the 17-year-old footballer, admitting that the last few months have exceeded his expectations.

“I have always worked for this moment, but I never thought it would happen so quickly and now it is time to keep going. My teammates have always helped me. It is a fantastic group."

Brought up at the club in the youth system, he has established strong ties in his time at Sporting CP.

“I joined at the same time as Eduardo [Felicíssimo]. My teammates have been sending me messages today and I spoke to Gabi [Gabriel Silva]. We are together here. I can’t forget the people who helped me. I always try to help the younger players who have just joined the academy, I have given them advice on how to work, so that one day they can be here too.

“Edu called me before my debut against FC Porto in the Super Taça to tell me to stay calm, that I was going to score a goal. It was good to hear the fans shouting my name. When I scored the goal, I really can't explain what I felt. It's different in Alvalade as well, with a great atmosphere."

Waiting for his first international cap after a callup to the Portugal squad, Quenda also touched on the reality of being part of the group alongside the best Portuguese players -in particular, Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It was a good moment, they were always trying to help me and gave good advice. I have to keep working to try to be there more often."

"I can promise the Sporting CP fans that I will continue to give my best, to work and always try to help this club."

The team keep up their perfect start to the campaign

In the Liga Portugal Matchday 5 opener, Sporting Clube de Portugal beat FC Arouca 0-3, extending their perfect record at the start of the season. The attacking trident of Pedro Gonçalves, Viktor Gyökeres and Francisco Trincão were all on the scoresheet.

Coach Rúben Amorim made five changes to his starting XI from the victory against FC Porto: addition to Franco Israel playing in goal due to Vladan Kovačević's injury, Zeno Debast, Matheus Reis, Nuno Santos and Daniel Bragança were also used from the beginning, taking replacing Eduardo Quaresma, Ousmane Diomande, Geny Catamo and Hidemasa Morita as they were rotated to the bench.

FC Arouca started the game in 14th place, with only one win at the start of the campaign, at home on the third matchday against CD Nacional.

The home team, coached by Gonzalo García, provided the first danger in the early stages of the match: Jason, who got in behind the defence, shot over the crossbar.

Soon after, Sporting CP had their opening chance, as Gyökeres' first shot was unsuccessful.

In the tenth minute, with the team increasingly settled in the opposition half, goalkeeper Nico Mantl got down to intercept a promising low cross from Bragança.

Sporting CP tried to create space in between the compact lines formed by FC Arouca, and started to find it on the left flank. A cross found Gonçalves alone in the area, but the No. 8 missed his shot and Quenda, on the follow-up, had his effort blocked. Likewise, Gyökeres' powerful individual move was also denied.

Second time around, Gonçalves was once again in position, and made no mistake to convert in the 24th minute. It began with a through ball to the striker, then Quenda and Trincão built the move on the right wing and found him in the six-yard box to make it 0-1.

His fifth goal of the season, the fourth in Liga Portugal, was followed up by another shot over the top.

Before halftime, FC Arouca goalkeeper Mantl made saves from Bragança and Gonçalo Inácio. Trincão also had a penalty appeal waved away, and the scoreline at the interval remained 0-1

Just like at the start of the first half, FC Arouca also had the first chance of the second half, this time with the newly introduced Trezza. Franco Israel made a comfortable first save of the game.

The response was not long in coming and Nuno Santos shot venomously, with a hit also caught by the opposition goalkeeper.

The home team tried get back into the game, although without Sporting CP always maintained a very high press. They made the most of the increasing space behind the defence, and nearly extended their lead through an own goal, eventually disallowed by VAR for offside.

A penalty kick was then given in favour of Sporting CP, due to a handball inside the area by midfielder Fukui. Gyökeres stepped up and converted the spot kick to make the lead more comfortable in the 73rd minute.

Amorim then made the first changes with two double substitutions separated by a few minutes: Geny, Diomande, Morita and new signing Maxi Araújo came on, the latter making his debut.

Sporting CP continued to create danger and, after two moves by Debast and Maxi Araújo that went astray, they made it 0-3 in style. Trincão cut in from the right, then finished low to kill off the game.

On Tuesday, Sporting CP will make their debut in the UEFA Champions League against French side Lille OSC, followed by a home game against newly promoted AVS in Liga Portugal.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Geovany Quenda (Maxi Araújo, 78’), Zeno Debast, Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Reis (Ousmane Diomande, 74’), Nuno Santos (Geny Catamo, 74’), Morten Hjulmand [C] (Hidemasa Morita, 78’), Daniel Braganca, Pedro Gonçalves, Francisco Trincao (Marcus Edwards, 83’), Viktor Gyökeres.

Coach highlights team's "very competent performance"

After the final whistle of the win away to FC Arouca, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim gave a press conference to review the match.

"We didn't concede goals and didn't let the opposition create many opportunities, but I haven't forgotten about the dangerous situations in the first minutes of each half created by FC Arouca," he explained.

"These are crucial moments that can change games or make them more difficult, and we have to be better then. However, during the game we controlled the opponents' movements well and were brave in going at a team who pressed up on us."

Regarding the five changes made to his starting eleven, Amorim said that “this is part of the season, and there are solutions."

“There were players who arrived at the last minute. Ousmane [Diomande] didn’t even get to train since he came back, [Eduardo] Quaresma played a game for the Portugal Under-21s three days ago. [Matheus] Reis and Nuno [Santos] trained with us, Inácio came back earlier and trained in the middle. We thought Henrique Araújo would play and Inácio is perhaps the quickest in controlling the depth. Zeno [Debast] is very strong with the ball and is very fast; he has some problems in aerial duels, but he is mobile and intelligent."

"Those who are training with us are very important and everyone is focused, because we have to win every game and pick up every point. Tonight's game was a very competent performance."

Despite the perfect record for the team in Liga Portugal so far, Amorim did not hide the fact that there are still improvements to be made.

"There are different kinds of games during the season, but I think we are more confident. We have a different ability to keep the ball and, due to the characteristics of the defenders, pressing more, it helps us to dominate games," he explained.

"The team are older and our idea is maturing, but the great improvement comes from the quality of the players."

"In the Champions League we will be more exposed with our mistakes and we won't always have many chances. We can also play better and finish better in attack," he concluded.

The coach speaks on the eve of the Champions League opener

Sporting CP return to the Champions League this season, and begin their campaign on Tuesday at home to LOSC Lille.

Coach Rúben Amorim previewed the game in his usual press conference, beginning by highlighting the importance of the club being back at the highest level.

"It is very important for all clubs to play in the UEFA Champions League, for the growth of the team, for the appreciation of their players, for the financial gain that allows us to not sell more than we should, and we have proven that," he said.

"I don't know if it will be harder or easier with the new format, but I think it is more appealing. It allows for more games, which is good for the clubs, giving more excitement and games against different teams. We are all excited to play with this format -and especially to be playing in the Champions League".

When asked about the large number of players in the squad who could make their debut in the competition, Amorim downplayed their inexperience.

“Viktor [Gyökeres] will play his first Champions League game, but nobody would say he is not ready to play these types of games, and the same goes for Morten [Hjulmand]. I think the first time we played in the Champions League, we were very inexperienced. Now, I feel the team are anxious for the first game, but more prepared -perhaps also because I feel more prepared to help them in this competition."

"The first game is at home and the fans' expectations are very high. We have to learn to live with that. It will be a difficult game, with some anxiety, but we are more prepared than we were three years ago", he added.

LOSC Lille reached the UEFA Champions League after finishing their last domestic campaign in fourth place, then beating Turkish team Fenerbahçe SK and Czech side SK Slavia Praha in the qualifying rounds. This season, they are on a run of three consecutive defeats coming into this contest.

"The French championship is much more evenly matched, and it is more difficult to see LOSC Lille with a more marked positional attack, while we spend most of our games like that," commented Amorim. "They are a very strong team physically, also very gifted technically and have a great striker, with great quality [Jonathan David], and three very fast central defenders who can cause more difficulties for our attack."

"They play a more open game every week and we don't, and that can make a difference in terms of fitness. So we have to keep the ball for ourselves and try to push the opposition, knowing that it's more difficult than in our league. It's a great incentive to watch tomorrow."

Defender Eduardo Quaresma will not be able to take part in the game, due to an ankle sprain, joining Vladan Kovačević, Jeremiah St. Juste and Diogo Pinto on the sidelines.

On youngster Tiago Santos, who was part of the Sporting CP youth system and has now become a standout at LOSC Lille, the coach said "He even trained with the first team, but I didn't see what others saw, just like with [Renato] Veiga. It's good to see that the academy produces players who, sometimes despite the different views of the coaches, are getting called up to the national team even without playing for our first team. I hope he's welcomed here, that he plays badly tomorrow, but that everything goes well for him afterwards."

One young player who is on the books, however, is Geovany Quenda, who at 17 could make his UEFA Champions League debut.

"He's not anxious about the game, because he fell asleep today and arrived late for the teamtalk, and he lives at the Academia," he joked.

"If there's one player I don't feel anxious about, it's Quenda, but when he hears the Champions League music and the atmosphere, he'll feel it. There's no way around it."

"The objectives for us now are to be two-time champions of Portugal, go as far as we can in the Champions League and win the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga. To do that, we will have to rotate the players and everyone is ready. I feel that this team are ready to be competitive and to play our game in the Champions League."

The striker looks ahead to his potential debut in the competition

Before the first Champions League game of the season for Sporting Clube de Portugal, against French side LOSC Lille, striker Viktor Gyökeres spoke to the media.

"Everyone who plays football dreams of playing in the UEFA Champions League. The team and I are eager to get started, and I think we are prepared and excited too," he began by saying.

The 26-year-old Swedish international will make his debut on the biggest stage of European football, and commented "It's a dream to play in the UEFA Champions League, so I want to do well and have great games."

Eight goals and three assists in six games for Sporting CP in 2024/25 – plus three goals and two assists for Sweden–  make Gyökeres one of the most in-form marksmen in world football. He commented that “I am in very good form, but I can still be better. We have the objective of winning every game we play, wherever it is, and in the UEFA Champions League too. Let’s see how far we can go. I always want to score and I hope to keep this up in the Champions League."

“Personally, I want to do better than last year, and I am very happy at Sporting CP," the forward added.

Finally, when asked about the latest attacking signing for the club, young Danish player Conrad Harder, Gyökeres described him as "an exciting player."

"We haven't trained together much yet, but he's big, physically strong and good on the ball."

The coach talks after the Champions League opener

After Sporting Clube de Portugal's 2-0 victory over Lille OSC in the UEFA Champions League, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the match in a press conference.

"The result was better than the performance and the sending off helped. Everything went well, but we have a lot to do still," he began by telling journalists, before commenting on Zeno Debast's fantastic goal that made it 2-0.

"There are not many words to describe it. It was a great goal. I was upset with his decision to shoot, but the best goals happen when you least expect them. If there was anyone who needed a goal and a performance like this, it was Zeno. His quality is there. There were some doubts from people about him, but in Belgium he is a beloved player. The goal was very important, but the performance even more so."

When asked who could stop Sporting CP, Rúben Amorim was quick to respond: "AVS" -this weekend's opponents.

"Anything can happen and we have to stay focused. This game was good, but we could see the nervousness that we had, and the sending off helped a lot. Any team can stop Sporting CP, we have to keep our feet firmly on the ground and know how to read the game to improve," he explained.

Regarding Conrad Harder, who made his debut for Sporting CP, the coach expressed his satisfaction.

"He is a player who, in the little time he had on the pitch, showed a lot of what he can do. He pressed for every ball, headed a free kick, and held on to the ball and was fouled, helping the team move upfield. He confirmed what we had seen in him, but he needs some more training time and we have had little of that. The same goes for Maxi Araújo."

"Looking at the game, I think Morten can improve, Trincão can make better decisions, Pote can be even more involved. You can see that Maxi isn't into the swing of things yet, but he has very good characteristics. You could see the players' lack of experience in difficult moments. However, today everything went well, except for Inácio's injury," he insisted.

Finally, and after revealing that Hidemasa Morita's withdrawal at half-time was due to his yellow card, Amorim spoke about the several consecutive games Sporting CP have gone without conceding a goal.

"Quenda is doing better defensively and Geny Catamo and Nuno Santos have already worked on that aspect. We have improved, been compact, been focused and been good at set pieces. It's a question of a bit of luck and a bit more work with the players."

A 2-0 win against Lille OSC gets the campaign underway

On their return to the UEFA Champions League, Sporting Clube de Portugal got off to a flying start by beating Lille OSC 2-0 at home. Viktor Gyökeres and Zeno Debast scored the goals against the French side to get the first three points available in the competition.

Before kickoff, a minute's silence was held in tribute to the victims of the fires that have hit Portugal this week.

Sporting CP made three changes to their starting eleven, with Matheus Reis, Daniel Bragança and Nuno Santos making way for Ousmane Diomande, Hidemasa Morita and Geny Catamo.

The match began with Lille OSC allowing Sporting CP to have the ball, and they dominated the opening minutes without creating any major danger. The opening shot came when Hidemasa Morita struck wide from distance.

In a setback for the team, Gonçalo Inácio was injured after just 13 minutes, and Matheus Reis was brought on to replace him.

Little by little, the home side grew stronger and increasingly threatened their opponents. In the 17th minute Pedro Gonçalves shot wide, and shortly afterwards an excellent team move ended with Francisco Trincão also missing the target.

Almost half an hour into the game, Sporting CP came very close to scoring: Viktor Gyökeres set up Gonçalves to shoot, but Lille OSC goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier made a good save to deny him.

The deserved first goal of the contest came in the 38th minute, when a mistake by the Lille OSC defense allowed Gonçalves to win the ball and pass to Gyökeres. The Swede spun, gaining the space needed to get a drive into the net, and scored on his Champions League debut.

Lille OSC went down to ten men when Angel Gomes received a second yellow card, and failed to threaten before the interval. At halftime, Sporting CP led 1-0, having had six shots to the visitors' none.

Coach Rúben Amorim replaced Hidemasa Morita with Daniel Bragança for the second half and their dominance further increased. Geovany Quenda, Trincão, Bragança and Geny Catamo's all came within inches of a second goal.

It eventually arrived in the 65th minute, with a stunning effort from Zeno Debast. From the middle of the pitch, after a pass from Bragança, the Belgian centre back fired a powerful shot into the top corner that brought the Estádio José Alvalade to its feet.

After once again saving a shot from Gonçalves, Lille OSC goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier had to work hard to deny a one-on-one with Bragança, and Quenda could not convert from the rebound.

The 17-year-old was replaced by Maxi Araújo for another Champions League debut.

Lille OSC managed their first shot on 74 minutes, through Rémy Cabella, and at the other end, Sporting CP continued to be strong: Gyökeres shot into the side netting after a tremendous individual effort.

Conrad Harder came on for Trincão to get his first minutes for Sporting CP, and even came close to scoring with a header that went just over the bar.

Lille OSC had their best chance of the match with Rémy Cabella, but Franco Israel stood firm to keep a clean sheet.

Next up is Liga Portugal action against AVS on Sunday, while the UEFA Champions League returns on October 1st with an away trip to play PSV Eindhoven.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Zeno Debast, Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio (Matheus Reis, 13'), Geovany Quenda (Maxi Araújo, 73'), Morten Hjulmand [C], Hidemasa Morita (Daniel Braganca, 46'), Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincao (Conrad Harder, 87'), Pedro Gonçalves and Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach analyses 'o Clássico'

After Sporting CP's 2-0 victory over FC Porto, coach Rúben Amorim talked about the game and the result in his post-match press conference.

“It wasn't one of the best Clássicos. There were different strategies in play, but we controlled things well and were better at pressing. We often let FC Porto play with their goalkeeper, because they expected us to go for the ball and leave one of their players free, but we were more intelligent in that approach. We were always building play and taking the ball forward, and after the first ten minutes we settled into FC Porto's half and created more opportunities", he began by analysing.

“Even so, we have a lot to improve in all aspects, as we lost the ball a lot. I remember at least two or three passes by Diomande, without pressure on him, in which the ball went out. These details sometimes make it difficult to have a more fluid game. The play inside was very stifled and sometimes we need those moments, as we only had one or two with Morita and Gonçalves. We tried to play our game, against difficult opponents, but we were always the team that came closest to scoring and pushed the most in search of the victory. We ended up achieving that".

Amorim highlighted the improvement in the team since the most recent editions of the fixture. “Winning this game obviously gives us an advantage, boosts the team's morale before the international break and is very important, but it doesn't say anything about what will happen in the season as a whole, while the other games we played against FC Porto had trophies at stake. That will always be there and should be there. Those two games had different stories, but today we were more complete throughout the game. Even halfway through the second half, when FC Porto were playing better, I felt that the team were not nervous. We are growing and still have a lot to grow in, as there are many weaknesses that will still be exposed in Champions League games. We have to make the most of every minute to work”, he said.

The coach was also asked whether the choice of Geny Catamo on the left flank should be maintained, given that the Mozambican scored the second goal shortly after replacing Geovany Quenda on the right.

“Geny will compete with Quenda on the right wing. Geny, even though he was tired, broke up an FC Porto team that had much more space. We also have to look at the number of times Quenda took the ball forward and didn’t let Galeno get away... One thing leads to another, Quenda did the dirty work and then Geny used his strength, pressed less, played a little lower and helped us out. Now, we have to have two players per position and Geny will return to the right. But when he has to play on the left, he will do so again".

As for Viktor Gyökeres, the forward who was once again crucial and scored the first goal of the match, the coach was pleased with the Swede’s performance.

“He is a different player from everyone else in the league. He was very competent defensively, more so than in the last two games, but also because he needed it more. He also has a level of fitness that, three games after undergoing surgery, he is already starting to have the ability to get the numbers he used to in terms of metres covered and high intensity. He is a very important player for us and he gives us an advantage. When we defend lower down, we know that we always have a tall, blonde guy ready to receive the ball in space - and it is very difficult to stop him. I am very happy with Viktor”, he stressed.

Amorim was asked if, after Pedro Gonçalves’ performance, he was his favourite player.

“I can’t say that because they are all my favourites. However, Pote is a special player in every way. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone else and, if I were anywhere else, he would probably be the first player I would want to bring in, because he can do everything. He is a central midfielder, but if I put him on the wing he knows how to play there. I don’t do that because I wouldn’t like it to be done to me either. He is a very special player for me”, admitted the coach.

In closing, he downplayed the importance of the victory, which allows Sporting CP to maintain their 100% winning record in Liga Portugal.

“The objective is still very far away. You don’t even look at the table at this stage of the season. Obviously it’s good to have four wins and a two-goal advantage in the head-to-head with FC Porto, and everything is important, but there is still a lot of time left. Three points is coverable in just one matchday and there are teams that can catch us; we might not even finish the matchday in first place because of goals scored"..