Alvalade president confident ahead of the coming season

Sporting will be more motivated than ever for the coming season's title race. That was the guarantee given by president Bruno de Cavalho in an interview with the newspaper Expresso this week, setting out his vision of Sporting as the favourites to claim silverware next season.

“We are a very serious contender for the title. We showed this year that people had underestimated us. We were very consistent. In six matches against the big clubs we won five", affirmed the Alvalade president, before settling any nerves about activity in the summer transfer market: "We don't need to sell out key players. We are complying with the financial fair-play rules and we are in positive territory right now, which can support an increase in the cost of the squad."

Asked about his relationship with the agent Jorge Mendes, the Sporting president was preemptive: "I have no interest in seeing a player sold for 300 million euros but only 3 million actually comes to Sporting. I hear people talking about millions and millions and millions, that 500 billion euros have passed through his hands. Well good for him. People think I am arrogant, but I am 100% humble about the whole thing and I hate this stupidity. When people are being stupid, then of course I am arrogant. I will put up with the worst person in the world for 100 years, 24 hours a day, if they are useful for Sporting."