The coach looks at the fixture against FC Famalicão

Rúben Amorim has no doubts that Sporting Clube de Portugal will have a tough time against FC Famalicão this Sunday at the Estádio José Alvalade, on Matchday 3 of the Liga Portugal season.

In his press conference ahead of the match, he explained his expectations of the fans and the opposition.

"We expect a good atmosphere at a full stadium, so I also want to thank the fans for the way they have supported us, after a difficult season, as well as explain to them that this will be a game where many things will happen. We will have to be patient. I believe we will dominate the play, but we need the support of the fans in good times and in bad times, as the games now do not last 90 minutes, but, maybe, 100. We are looking for the victory, we are going to give everything and we really want to win", the coach began by saying.

 "FC Famalicão have an excellent coach and are always a team with very talented young players. They are the 'Portuguese Brighton' and we know that there will always be young people watching. The bigger the game, the smaller the responsibility for them and the more talent comes out, because they feel freer. In games with the big teams they always feel very comfortable. I expect a very difficult game, in which we will have to suffer, but I am convinced that we will win".

Questioned about who is going to feature, Amorim kept his cards close to his chest.

"In Midfield? I will not say who will play. Daniel Bragança has come back very well and Morten Hjulmand is also prepared to play".

Jeremiah St. Juste, meanwhile, is still not an option and Amorim does not want the centre-back's recovery to be rushed.

“St. Juste is on his way and we are preparing him. We're trying to get the best out of him. He is a world-class player and we want him to last for many years at Sporting CP, so we are doing our best for him".

He also spoke about the transfer market, which is still open, and stated that he is satisfied with the squad he has.

“We have several players for various positions. I don't know if our strategy will have an impact on the final standings. We were champions in a season with a lot of changes, but I think teams are champions more often when they keep their foundations for more years".

“When I arrived here, even with little investment, we always wanted to win trophies. That's in the club's DNA. I understand that greater investment increases the responsibility, but we have a way of working, we spend half of what we bring in from selling. The sales of Porro and Ugarte have allowed us to have a more peaceful transfer market than when there are no sales and no money. Therefore, I would say that the responsibility is the same, simply that more players being sold allows more players to come in, more security in what we do- So far it has gone well", he also said, before talking about the integration of Viktor Gyökeres and Morten Hjulmand.

“They are adapting very well and having a young group also helps them. They are two slightly different personalities, but we have invested a lot in team dinners (laughs) and that also helps them to find their place in the team. They've responded on the pitch and, even though people haven't seen much of Morten, he's more than just somebody adept at stealing the ball. He has a lot of quality on the ball and is different from the players we have. Viktor gives us a different dimension due to his characteristics. They live in a good country, they play in a big club, they are very well cared for and they are surrounded by excellent players, and I told them right away when we signed them not to look so much at the league table and to look more at the players we have. They couldn’t be happier and neither could we”.