The coach runs the rule over the 1-1 draw in Poland

After the draw against RKS Raków, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim held a press conference to analyse the events in the UEFA Europa League Group D match, and began by addressing the support of around 500 Sportinguistas present in Poland.

"More than just saying 'thank you,' we wanted to show on the pitch that we want to honour the shirt -and they always do that. Today the players performed well when a man down, in a game that was difficult from the first moment".

"We played against an intelligent team that were able to create advantages with an extra player, but especially in the first half we had more of the ball and the best opportunities. The second half was different, as we couldn't get out from the back. We tried to change some players to hold the ball more, but it didn't happen and then we ended up conceding a goal in the transition from an attacking free kick", summarised the coach.

When asked about Franco Israel's presence in goal, Amorim highlighted that "there is no number one at Sporting CP. This was a tactical choice and we are playing in many competitions".

Next, he addressed the early red card for Viktor Gyökeres.

"I'm one hundred percent in favour of VAR, as it gives football more justice. I was more angry because in the incident he slipped and he had no intention of hurting the opposing player. I didn't see the move, so I won't be saying whether it was worthy of a red or not, but I think we have to look more at the intention".

"He won't be able to play here in the UEFA Europa League, but he will play in the league and in other competitions".

Despite the problems experienced in the second half, Amorim considered that the team controlled the opposition well, even when playing with ten players for over 80 minutes.

"They exploited the wings because they are intelligent, because we closed the middle of the pitch a lot and they put a lot of people high up. Where they created more problems for us, after the goal, was from crosses and second balls. Their goal originated from our free kick and that creates physical and also mental fatigue. Afterwards, it took us some time to return to the level of concentration we had. These are things that happen in the game that I can understand".