The coach provides his assessment of a win over CD Tondela

Rúben Amorim was satisfied with an 11th consecutive win for Sporting Clube de Portugal in all competitions, but reflected on things that his side could have done better against CD Tondela.

“We grew during the game. We started off quickly and we scored the goal, but from there we switched off and let CD Tondela have some of the ball, meaning we had to accelerate to recover it. We lacked some energy in the first half, but in the second half we were different. We stepped up a gear again, as we knew we needed to score another goal because the game was always dangerous, and we got better. It was a fair result in a game that was always difficult. All games are, but we were deserved winners,” began the coach.

The goals were scored by Pablo Sarabia and Paulinho, but the coach explained that he looks more at the overall performance of each player -and not just the goals.

“I don't know if this is the best moment of form for this attacking trio, and even today I think they didn't have a great game. I'm happy that they scored, but they also know what they did in the first half and in the second," he said, speaking in particular about Paulinho: "Today he scored and we are grateful for it, but he also has to continue doing what he does very well."
Amorim also made mention of João Palhinha, who got injured during the game.

 “Palhinha was about to go off before. It's one of those unlucky things, but we have to wait for the results of his tests tomorrow. There is always the risk of him missing the game against SL Benfica, and everyone knows he is a very important player for us, but if he isn't there, Palhinha will be another member of the squad supporting us. We are going to play with eleven players and we are going to fight for the victory."

The Sporting CP coach was also asked about the match between Belenenses SAD and SL Benfica, which featured the home side being unable to field 11 players due to positive COVID-19 tests and the game eventually being abandoned.

 “It is a strange situation. Sporting CP have already said so in a statement. It cannot happen again, and we have to find a solution. We can't be having big European nights and then messing things up. Everyone saw it. It was all very strange.”

The coach's briefing for the game against CD Tondela

This Sunday, Sporting Clube de Portugal welcome CD Tondela on Matchday 12 of the Liga Portugal season, and coach Rúben Amorim gave a press conference ahead of the contest.

"We want to read the game very well. We know the danger that we face," he warned. "CD Tondela have had time to prepare the game, and come to Alvalade motivated. We have to be even more motivated, knowing that one result can spoil all that we have been doing; that's why we play for a big club. We want to maintain our position and that's what we'll try to do."

Asked about the COVID-19 cases in the CD Tondela squad, which include their coach, Pako Ayestarán, Amorim commented that "it is always a difficult moment, but the teams are prepared. It's always better to have the coach with the team. The impact of having COVID-19 cases in the squad, whether it be the coach or players, is always unpleasant. I hope that he recovers quickly. However, they have already been working for more than a year with this coaching staff, and they will be prepared for the game," he said.

One player who will be available to CD Tondela, on loan from Sporting CP, is Eduardo Quaresma, and the Sporting CP coach has been keeping an eye on the young defender: "Quaresma had the opportunity here and we understood that he should play regularly. He's making progress on his own path, and we really believe in him. He has to improve and work hard to do well and return to Sporting CP."

In the last fixture, against Borussia Dortmund, Amorim handed a debut to Flávio Nazinho, who indicated that "signs and experience are being given to the players so that, in the future, they can be part of the first team. It is part of our project and we hope that, after [Flávio] Nazinho, many others will come through."

After the CD Tondela game, Sporting CP will visit SL Benfica, but Amorim emphasised that this is not the focus at the moment.

"I know my players. They know that an influence the CD Tondela game will have on my starting XI for the next game. It's the biggest motivation they can have. I trust everyone, and anyone who doesn't play well against CD Tondela won't play against SL Benfica. All it takes is a draw to destroy everything we've built in recent months. We have to win. If a bad result happens against CD Tondela, but the team give everything, then there is no problem. If we behave in a way which is not in line with the greatness of Sporting CP, then players could lose their places."

Finally, Amorim was clear in response to rumors about his future.

"I'm coach at Sporting CP, I have a contract with Sporting CP, and I'm very happy at Sporting CP. This is where I shall continue."

The coach assesses the 0-2 win on Matchday 11

Following Sporting Clube de Portugal's victory over FC Paços de Ferreira, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the performance that saw his team pick up the three points away from home.

"Our team were, once again, very focused. They had more energy than in Arouca. We controlled the game much better. We knew that FC Paços de Ferreira were very strong and their defence was very good. We got into positions to finish many times in the first half. FC Paços de Ferreira had a few breaks, but without much danger. In the second half, with the opening goal from another set piece, we settled in better. FC Paços de Ferreira had to go after the result and the game practically ended with our second goal. We could have scored more", he said in his post-match press conference.

"I want to give special praise to Tabata, who has suffered a lot of injuries. The way he came in today was very strong. We controlled the game from there."

Asked if Sporting CP began the game under pressure, considering FC Porto's victory at CD Santa Clara, Amorim explained that, at this time of the season, the table is not given more than a cursory glance.

"We are always under pressure, because we are on a winning streak and we know it is difficult to maintain. The focus must always be on our team. FC Porto's game doesn't concern us. At this stage of the season, it is of no interest", he said.

For the coach, a run of eight consecutive victories and the football played by his side make this the strongest point of the 2021/2022 season so far.

"It's a good moment. We're solid. We have brought back Tiago Tomás, [Luís] Neto felt a problem with his leg again, but otherwise we have all of our players available. When we have all the players and we are playing well, it's a good moment. I can say it's the best moment of this season."

Finally, he assured that the results that Sporting CP have achieved as of late have less impact on the group than the way in which these triumphs have been obtained.

"Results are important, but the way we're playing and winning, the concentration and the fact that we don't concede goals, have a very good impact on the group and on the fans. It creates a healthy wave of momentum. It's about riding this wave knowing that some day - and I hope it's not too soon - things can change", he concluded.

The Sporting CP coach talks to the media ahead of the game against Beşiktaş JK

Sporting Clube de Portugal welcome Turkish side Beşiktaş JK this Wednesday on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League group stage, and coach Rúben Amorim spoke ahead of the game in a pre-match press conference.

Speaking about the preparation for the contest, he explained that he had shown his team a video of the entire first meeting with this week's opposition.

"The players realised that for 15 minutes we had almost none of the ball, and Beşiktaş JK could have scored. The game suited our characteristics. We are good at defending and transitions. We told the players to look at the game itself, and not the result. There is no illusion. It will be a very difficult game, in which we will have to be better than we were in Turkey -especially with the ball."

Amorim then appealed for the presence and support of Sporting CP fans at the Estadio José Alvalade, recalling that the team were received in Istanbul amidst a hostile atmosphere.

"The team need their help, as we are inexperienced. There was an adverse atmosphere in Turkey, which spurred the opposition on at the beginning. We want to do the same to them. It is never too much to create a connection between the team and the fans. I expect a great atmosphere. It's the Champions League and we can fight to reach the knockout stage, so we need everyone with us," he stressed.

The coach also insisted that there was no favourite to win the game.

"The same way we won in Turkey, Beşiktaş JK can win here. We want to win. We played well in Turkey and we can play better. We know Beşiktaş JK well, and they know us too."

Sporting CP have been scoring several goals from set-pieces as of late, and Amorim congratulated his assistants Adélio Cândido, Carlos Fernandes and Emanuel Ferro for their contribution to that.

"The merit belongs to the coaching staff who specialise in dead balls. I want to emphasise the amount of chances that we have. We haven't scored many goals from open play and we've got them from set pieces. I'm happy because it emphasises the work of the people here, who have a lot of talent and are hard workers," he said.

After revealing that Tiago Tomás will be the only absentee through injury for Wednesday's match, Amorim expressed his belief in his side moving through to the next stage of the UEFA Champions League.

"I believe that, since we lost 1-5 to AFC Ajax, we have to win this game to continue in the fight for qualification. I believe we can go through to the next stage. We are winning, and when we win, everything helps. What I feel is that we all know where we want to go, which gives us stability. Stability depends on results, and what we have to do is win tomorrow's game to stay on the right path."

"It will be a very difficult game. They will have different players, like their strikers. It will be different and that's what we have told the players. It is a mistake to think that the game in Turkey was easy. We will have to suffer to win. We want to have more of the ball, more chances and try to avoid the many chances that Beşiktaş JK had," he concluded.

The coach reviews the win over Vitória SC

In the aftermath of the triumph against Vitória SC (1-0), on Matchday 10 of the Liga Portugal season, coach Rúben Amorim put into perspective a run of six consecutive victories.

“Those games have passed. I look at this series of games and will say that there is usually an interruption. Both the team and I just want to win the next game. Everything is open on several fronts, and there is still a long way to go. Of course, it gives us confidence and helps the team, but it's worth what it's worth”, said the coach, before being asked about the move in which Sebastián Coates headed in from a corner, something that also happened in the last game, against Moreirense FC, and twice in Turkey, against Beşiktaş JK.

“It is to the credit of Coates and Adélio Cândido, Carlos Fernandes and Emanuel Ferro, who work a lot on set pieces. We are a team who are strong in these situations and have a lot of players in different areas. Coates has this ability off headers. He knows how to see if the ball is coming through or not, and that's something certain players have. We want to improve and for Coates to continue to score," he said, before praising the Uruguayan as “a great player who thinks like a striker when he is in the opposing area, but when he is in his own area he thinks like a central defender.”

"He is an increasingly complete player and we are very happy to have such an athlete amongst us."

As for the final stretch of the match, in which Sporting CP had to suffer, Amorim stated that this is a situation that the team “must know how to live with."

“It's not the first time we've suffered in the final minutes. Once we lost some of the pressure up front, the midfielders suffered and the defenders didn't go between the lines as much. Nevertheless, we are a team that knows how to defend. We also formed a line of five when necessary and we were able to adapt to each moment of the game. We didn't defend deep as a strategy, but rather because our opponents forced us to. The others team play too, and as soon as we started to get tired, even when we changed players, keeping up high pressing is difficult if you don't get it right,” he explained.

The importance of defence for a team which has the best record in the Portuguese league, with only four goals conceded, was another of the issues addressed by the coach.
“It's one of the strengths of the team, just like it was last season. But I will say again: It's not just the defence. It is often the forwards not only attacking, but also defending and putting pressure on the midfielders. We are a very united team, and that helps when you have to defend, build in a 5-4-1 or press high up. Without conceding goals, our team always finds a way to score, even if it is through set pieces to Coates," he said.

For the coach, overtaking SL Benfica moving joint leaders with FC Porto is insignificant whilst their rivals are technically top.

“We have the same number of points, but if the season ended today we wouldn't be in first place. There's a lot to play for and it only takes a draw to change the leader. We have to look at this naturally, as it will happen during the season. We must always be alert,” he warned, before guaranteeing that this Sporting CP side “are much more of a team than last season."

“I'm lucky that the players understand the moments within a game better and better. Today we suffered a lot at the end and we showed that we still have the same ability to stick together that we did last season. We are much better, especially considering the same period last season,” he assured.

To close, Amorim shared the credit for the fact that Sporting CP have not lost at home in Liga Portugal since he arrived in Alvalade, in March 2020, going an impressive 33 home games unbeaten.

“It is a credit to everyone who is here, from the kitman to the president. Everyone has responsibility in the good times, and everyone does their part. Now we have to keep going. This sequence of games doesn't give us anything yet, and if we don't win the next match then we will be out of the Champions League. We have to win every day, and of course we want to keep this run going, but what matters is the points in the standings," he concluded.

The coach looks at his side's performance against FC Arouca

After the 1-2 victory for Sporting Clube de Portugal against FC Arouca, Rúben Amorim, coach of Os Leões, talked in a press conference to analyse the game.

"We deserved to score more goals in the first half. We could have done that, and then the game would have become easier. We didn't, so we went into the second half and they drew level off a transition, but we were able to react. From there, we closed up the game, in order to not suffer from more counterattacks. It was a fair victory. We didn't play as well as in other games, but the important thing was to win," he stressed.

Asked about the decision to bring Ricardo Esgaio, Daniel Bragança and Nuno Santos into the starting eleven, Amorim said that changes were made "with our offensive game more in mind."

"It was important to bring in new players and they are all prepared. We tried to play using the characteristics of our players and I opted for two full-backs next to the centre backs, because they are faster," he pointed out, adding that: "In midfield we wanted to take advantage of [Daniel] Bragança's good form. FC Arouca played higher up than we expected, but we ended up winning."

"With the pressure from FC Arouca we had several transitions where we could have done better, and in the end fatigue started to take over, but we held our advantage," said the coach, before highlighting the defensive work done by the team.

"We didn't give them many chances. The evolution of the team happens at the back, and it takes time. We didn't have a great game, but we controlled things and in the future we will improve," concluded Amorim.

The coach targets greater effectiveness in front of goal

On Friday, Rúben Amorim previewed Sporting Clube de Portugal's match against FC Arouca, scheduled for this Saturday, saying that he does not expect an easy contest but believes a good result will go his side's way.

“It will be a game like any other. It's away from home at a tough ground, against a team that are certainly well prepared and who in the last game deserved a better result. We know FC Arouca well and we will be prepared, he began.

“We have to win the game and improve, especially in our finishing."

"Even without so many goals, we have created several opportunities. The statistics are worth what they are worth, but they show that we have created chances and got into the box. The only thing lacking is scoring. We're not scoring many goals, but I always believe that in the next game we'll do more -and it's also important not to suffer, because we always score a goal”.

Amorim also spoke about Paulinho, praising the striker once again and saying that he only talks about him so much because of the questions that are asked.

"Paulinho has improved the team a lot. He only has to improve his finishing. He does what I ask of him, he just isn't doing what would make others value him more, which is get goals. I'm very honest in my appreciation for my players. There are periods in which strikers score fewer goals, and you might say that it's a long period, but I've seen strikers from other teams go a year without scoring and then explode."

The coach's review of the win over CS Marítimo

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim was satisfied with the result for his side against CS Marítimo (1-0) on Friday, considering it to have been a deserved win.

“There was clearly help from supporters. Like the team, the fans understood that the team were giving their all, that it was necessary to be patient and wait for the best moment to attack. We dominated the game from start to finish. At the beginning we could have been more incisive, when we won space, but we dominated and didn't give CS Marítimo a chance. The game had many stops and starts, but the players tried to implement what we had trained."

“Despite the stress of the game, the players went into the spaces where they should have gone, they didn't get carried away by emotion, and it ended up being a fair result”.
The coach admitted that it is necessary to finish off chances better, saying that “We have to score more goals, but we are also conceding less, apart from the game against AFC Ajax. We have to improve our finishing, but I want to emphasise the control that we had.

Sporting CP no longer share possession so much; we control more and are more on top of the opposition. Last year, around this time, we had a harder time setting up. We would have opportunities once or twice,” he continued, insisting that he was not worried about the winning goal only having come from the penalty spot.

“It depends how you look at it. I look at spirit a lot. This victory gave the fans a lot. We can look at it as two 1-0 victories from penalty kicks, but I look at it as complete dominance. There were no shots from the opposition and we had complete control of the game."

Amorim insisted that the victory, achieved in the final minutes of the match, was not down to luck.

“I think it's more a case of luck when we don't dominate the game, don't do much to deserve it, and end up scoring. Today we completely dominated the game. For example, in last season's game against CD Santa Clara, in which we scored more or less at the same time, it was more good fortune than today. What happened today was justice. One team wanted to play, the other didn't. Today, football was fair."

The coach is expecting a tough challenge against the islanders on Matchday 7

This Friday, Sporting Clube de Portugal face CS Marítimo at home in a 7pm local time kickoff. Their coach, Rúben Amorim, spoke in a pre-match press conference to look ahead to the game, and warned that the side who occupy 11th place in table, will be very different from the one that closed 2020/2021 losing 5-1 to Sporting CP.

"It will be a completely different game. CS Marítimo are very difficult to beat. They drew at Famalicão and drew with FC Porto, they have a coach with good ideas and no responsibility whatsoever. We hope to play better than in that game and win. It doesn't matter if it's 5-1, as winning by one goal is enough, but we want to score as many goals as possible and not concede any," he began by telling reporters.

Despite reminding the press that "for the club, the most important thing is the Liga Portugal title," he denied any players would be rested for the CS Marítimo game with the visit to Borussia Dortmund in mind."

"By guaranteeing a good finish in the league, we guarantee Champions League participation, as well as experience. We won't save players, as the most important game is always the next one. I'm not worried about recovering for Dortmund because our motivation is always high. Those who are the best suited to the game will play," he promised.

Asked about Paulinho, Amorim commented that the striker "has to do what he has been doing."

 "He has been playing very well. Goals give a striker strength, but we are looking for much more than that. He's doing very well and the team have improved a lot. He improves Tiago Tomás every day in training because he helps him. I want him to keep up his performance and be very strong under pressure."

"At a big club, the feeling that sticks with you is that of the last game. What we took away was a victory against GD Estoril Praia, who had not lost before. We were clearly superior and we controlled the game from beginning to end. What we have to do is win the next game, and then we will focus on the next one."

Regarding Manuel Ugarte, the midfielder signed from FC Famalicão in the last transfer window, Amorim stressed that, "he may have to come in at any moment, and he has to prepare for that," whilst "[Daniel] Bragança is very useful and important, he will be a great player and has unique characteristics."

The coach also confirmed the absences of Pedro Gonçalves and Gonçalo Inácio due to injury and addressed the situation with Bruno Tabata: "Tabata plays as a central midfielder, but for a specific position for some games. He grew and played on the wing, but I think he has the talent to play more in the middle."

The coach reviews the win over GD Estoril Praia

In the aftermath of Sunday's triumph over GD Estoril Praia (0-1) in Liga Portugal, Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Rúben Amorim explained that he was satisfied with how the team responded to a week in which they lost their opening Champions League fixture.

“I expected a good attitude from the team, but I didn't know how the players' reaction was going to be," he began his post-match press conference by saying.

“The reaction was excellent. We were focused, everyone knew what they had to do and they did it without much stress, in a very difficult game and after a very difficult defeat. We learned a lot from the game against FC Famalicão, and we didn't rush. In the first half we controlled things, and in the second as well,”, began the coach.

“We remembered the team that we are and if we have to defend lower, that's what we'll do. We were fair winners. It was a very difficult game, but it turned out that we suffered less than expected."

“GD Estoril Praia had fewer chances than expected, because we went after the result, knowing that when a big club are not in front, it's like they are losing. We were clearly the team that had the most chances and that looked for the goal the most,” he pointed out.

Amorim also admitted that the last week was "the most difficult" since his arrival, but also emphasised that his players gave “an excellent response” at the António Coimbra da Mota.
“These are difficult times, but players have to realise that everything changes from one moment to the next. This team has not yet been through moments of adversity. They felt the stress, but it's not the same thing, and it's part of the team's growth ”, he said, rejecting the idea that the result was in jeopardy.

As for Pablo Sarabia's first-team debut, the coach said the Spanish international "will be very important this season" and praised his qualities.

“He is a player with a lot of talent, but he works a lot for the team. You can see some confusion at times about when to press and get the ball. He is looking for his place, but he is an above average player. Like all players, he needs time ”, he said, before explaining why it was Pedro Porro who took the penalty that gave the team victory.

“Everyone wants to score and I trust everyone. It's a bit of a competition between the players, because Nuno Santos missed one last season and was changed, Jovane Cabral also missed and was changed, as well as Pote, who got injured and was changed. Whoever misses is switched out, and now it's Porro's turn,” he clarified.

Finally, the coach sent out a warning about the victory.

"Winning helps you to overcome everything, but in football everything changes from one moment to the next."

“We were coming off a series of victories, we had won the Supertaça and were improving our football, and in one week everything seems to have changed. The players have to be alert, as this win does not put any ghosts to bed. We have to be prepared for everything," he concluded.