“We have no choice but to finish the season in the best possible way.” That said, no one doubts Artur Jorge’s faith in winning the Portuguese Cup, the 83rd edition of which will be played on Sunday at the Estádio Nacional (17.15, RTP1). What happens will be historic for completing the best season in 102 years of Sp. Braga, which finished the I Liga in 3rd place. But for the coach of the Minho warriors to be the 4th greatest in Portuguese football, you have to “earn more”.
“We have a history that catapulted us into the top places a few years ago, to be able to be a symbol of quality and that’s what we have to keep doing. Winning the trophy will strengthen the club, but winning doesn’t matter. that we take nothing away. We must be patient and have a long road ahead, always with ambition but true to the determination we have shown this season, with attractive football. We have broken all records in the history of Sp. , said the coach ahead of the game against FC Porto, acknowledging that the final is “special for everyone”.
And he is no exception. He’s already been to Jamor as fans, as a player and now he’s going as a coach. The family rented a bus to go to Jamor to see the final. And there are sporting and emotional reasons that justify it: “It’s the first title I can win. It would be fantastic to end my first season in the I Liga with a trophy. (…) The team has high ambitions, we are confident and ready to fight for the trophy and win.”
Artur Jorge did not want to dwell on his memoirs about that 1998 final, in which he faced Sérgio Conceição and lost (see text opposite), but assumed that he would “get more nervous” despite being captain at the time: “There are 25 years ago, the distance between Sp. Braga and FC Porto was much greater and it was another intense final with more favoritism against FC Porto, who were the best team. We as players and for me as captain of Sp. braga.”
Will this opponent’s nepotism continue? “We have equal conditions to win and in terms of team capacity, I don’t think there is any distance to create nepotism,” the coach replied, making sure the team was prepared for anything, whether it’s 90 minutes, 120 minutes or to the penalty shootout.
The mission is hampered by Sequeira’s absence, but Borja and Tormena trained together yesterday and are fit. Just like Ricardo Horta. It will be him, as captain, who will enter the stands of the Estádio Nacional to collect the Portuguese Cup, if the team beats the holder of the trophy. Porto, but of course I imagine that [levantar a taça]”, replied the player from Minho, confessing that he was “privileged because he had already won a cup for Sp. Braga”. But today he wants to do it in Jamor, since in 2021 the final took place in Coimbra and without an audience due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Source: DN
