​The coach expects a tough game in the Europa League

Sporting Clube de Portugal will play away from home against Juventus this Thursday,  in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Coach Rúben Amorim spoke in the pre-match press conference for the game, and rejected comparisons between Juventus and Arsenal -who Sporting CP eliminated in the previous round.

“Our objective is always that, when we have an opportunity, to do better than we've already done, but we have to be aware of the quality of Juventus. We've watched a lot of their games and everyone says that they are not having the best of seasons, but without the points penalty they would be in second place in Serie A, and they are a completely different team than they were at the beginning of the season", he told journalists.

"They are a bit like us in the first phase of the season and have a very experienced coach. It is always a good day if you can beat Juventus away. Our objective is always to win, but we also have to think that it is a two-legged tie and we have to have that notion throughout the game”.

“For us to win here, we will have to be a perfect Sporting CP and Juventus have to be below their best", he underlined, adding that this game will also be different from Liga Portugal in that the pressure will be on the Italian team.

"We have a responsibility to try to win the game, but it's a completely different world to the league. We have to use that to our advantage, leaving the responsibility to Juventus and playing our game. We want to start well and have the ball in the first few minutes, but, above all, we want to be very focused, because they are a completely different team to Arsenal and more experienced".

"I'm sure people will look at us differently after the game with Arsenal, and the team are also more confident playing these types of games now than before that match. Nevertheless, these are going to be completely different games and we remain underdogs in this competition. The day will come when we are a strong candidate in European competitions, but we are still working to follow that path. That doesn't take away our ambition of wanting to win".

The winner of the Europa League will play in the Champions League next season, but  Amorim believes that this will also weigh more on Juventus than on Sporting CP.

“I think that objective is more in the minds of Juventus players, due to the club's status and because they are a team very used to playing finals, with several European trophies. Them not reaching the Champions League would have a very big impact. Obviously it would be for us too, but our project is completely different. We have a project based on youth and we have an ongoing process, which is making good progress and in which it is possible to compensate for not getting into the Champions League. So I think that it will be more in the minds of Juventus players”.

However, the coach knows that winning the competition would be historic, stating that “For Sporting CP it is an objective and we of course want to win a European trophy. For us it would even be more important than for Juventus, because we only have one Cup Winners' Cup in our trophy cabinet. Everything is possible. After eliminating Arsenal and, mainly, with the way we played in that game, we have to believe more".

“This game will be completely different and Juventus are completely different opponents. We believe, but we have to go step-by-step and use that factor that we don't have in the league, in that Juventus are expected to win".

Amorim was also asked about the words of Danilo, a former FC Porto player now at Juventus, who said that Sporting CP "are a team who put a lot of pressure on you. They are like a mirror of how Rúben Amorim was as a player".

"I'm happy about him saying that the Sporting CP team represent what I was like as a player, although I had many mistakes and defects. I think a coach's objective, after the main thing which is to win, is to be reflected in his team. Tomorrow, hopefully, we will live up to those words", he concluded.