Coach Rúben Amorim said this Friday that he prefers to play against Benfica, who are still fighting for the title, in the penultimate round of the First Football League, and that Sporting does not care who becomes national champion.
Questioned at a press conference in Alcochete, the coach recalled that in the year he arrived at the club he wanted to visit FC Porto in those circumstances, “so that the players can feel first hand what it is like to play against a team that plays to be champion”. and emphasized that your idea “stays”.
“I prefer to play with Benfica at maximum strength, without fuss. We want to prepare the future in the best way, and that is through the teams [adversárias] at maximum strength, and I say that again this year. Because I have no preference. Whoever becomes champion, it will be. If we are not, we lose and the rest does not matter,” the ‘leonine’ coach exclaimed.
In this sense, he reiterated that the 33rd matchday derby, scheduled for the 21st, is not of particular importance, despite recognizing “what it means for the supporters”, but stressed that the final joy of beating the ‘incarnates’ has no comparison with a title.
“It would be very bad if we celebrated a championship win for two years and then compared that joy of a championship to a win against Benfica. We want to win titles, not just games,” stressed Rúben Amorim.
The former player of Luz’s club also recalled that at the moment “the focus is on Marítimo”, an opponent the ‘lions’ will face on Saturday, and that they will only think about Benfica after that, not in the last place because it is necessary to “respect the championship”.
“There is a battle going on between Paços de Ferreira and Marítimo, the teams closest to the playoffs. [de descida de divisão] and we have to respect that. In the same way we did our best against Paços de Ferreira, in addition to the pride and obligation to play for Sporting, there is an obligation in our league to give everything and make the league more realistic,” he assumed.
Sporting will host Marítimo on Saturday in a match for the 32nd round of the 1st Portuguese football league, starting at 8:30 pm, at Estádio José Alvalade, in Lisbon, with referee Tiago Martins, from the Lisbon Federation.
Amorim does not guarantee the sustainability of important players for Sporting
Coach Rúben Amorim also said that he cannot guarantee the sustainability of important footballers for Sporting at the end of this season, but stressed that his continuity with the club does not depend on the transfer of players.
“I cannot guarantee that no players will leave. But it seems to me that we have already proven with Porro that those most important players will have to leave because of the clause,” said the coach of the ‘lions’. a press conference, in Hookah.
Amorim had been asked if his future at the club could depend on Sporting’s ability to retain key players in the team, contrary to what happened earlier this season with the sale of Matheus Nunes to Wolverhampton.
The coach recalled that the departure of the Portugal international had “a big clash” in the squad because “the dressing room” had “someone of Palhinha’s importance, Dani [Daniel Bragança] got injured and Matheus [Nunes] left”, but stressed that when he questioned his own continuity, it had nothing to do with possible player transfers.
“The only thing I doubted about staying or leaving was the fact that as a coach I didn’t achieve my goals. It was never because this or that player is going to be sold,” he clarifies.
Still talking about players leaving midfield, but in view of the recovery of Daniel Bragança, who has been absent all season after knee surgery, the coach believed that the midfielder “will be a very important player” in the following season.
“Our team has adapted to play with Morita or with Pot in a certain way [Pedro Gonçalves] totally different style [que jogava] with Matheus Nunes and that goes against Dani’s ability to play between the lines and with the ball in his foot. It might be our big asset for next season”, the Sporting coach anticipated.
Source: DN
