Statement from Sporting Clube de Portugal's Clinical Director

Today (Tuesday), an antidoping team left the Sporting Clube de Portugal Academy at 22h30. In 10 years as a doctor with professional teams in the first division, I have never seen such a thing happen: antidoping tests for the whole in the middle of the night, a day before a match.

In the last seven days, the club has been the subject of control four times. 7th of December (UEFA), 8th, 11th and 13th (ADOP) of December. The following players were submitted to urine and blood tests:

- Twice: Adrien, Gelson, Coates, João Pereira, Zeegelaar, Schelotto, Douglas, André, Paulo Oliveira and Meli;

- Once: Rui Patrício, Beto, Jug, Esgaio, Semedo, Jefferson, Petrovic, William, Bruno César, Alan Ruiz, Bryan Ruiz, Bruno Paulista, Elias, Matheus and Bas Dost.

We have nothing to hide and Sporting Clube de Portugal supports all measures taken in contribution to true sportsmanship and the eradication of illicit acts which damage the health professional athletes. The lack of common sense and respect for the squad shown by the undertaking of antidoping control during the night before a match is saddening. The procedure not only disturbed our afternoon training session, but also in the recovery and rest of players who have three matches in one week in addition to an eight hour plane trip. Perhaps these four controls (in seven days) could have been undertaken after the match or on the following day.

Frederico Varandas

(SCP Clinical Director)

William and Matheus on Thursday's Europa League encounter

William Carvalho and Matheus Pereira both put in solid performances in Istanbul this Thursday, in a dominating Sporting showing that deserved the three points.

“We played well. We did really well in the first-half and we knew they would come back at us in the second-half. They created chances, but the fair result would have been a win for us”, said William, going on to add: “We did slip up when it came to finishing, but we have been training hard and goals will come.”

For Matheus Pereira, only the win would have made better on his senior debut. “We didn’t get the result. I am happy to have played and all I am sad about is the result, because we had chances and we deserved it”, said the younger, finishing: “The coach told me to just to what I do with the B team. I know that I have to work hard, because nothing is guaranteed.