The departing coach talks about the win over SC Braga and bids farewell to Sporting CP

After the final whistle in the 2-4 victory at SC Braga, Ruben Amorim spoke in his final press conference as Sporting CP coach.

“It's difficult to sum everything up. This has been an incredible adventure. I encountered a very difficult context when we arrived at the club, but a very special one. It's very difficult to recreate what we had here. What I can say to the Sportinguistas is ‘thank you’. I did what I could, made some mistakes and showed stubbornness at times, but always with the team in mind. The club always came first and, apart from the mistake I made at the end of last season, this was the only time when I thought about myself more than the team; otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this,” he began by saying.

“Thank you. I’m sorry that this decision comes in the middle of the season but I felt that this was my moment. As for the club, this run has to continue; in the next matchday we can break the record for the best start ever.”

Regarding the game at Pedreira, Amorim highlighted SC Braga's “cleverness in knowing where to cover and counterattack”, but considered that his team “could have avoided the two goals conceded”. Overall, he considered that they were “fair winners”, especially due to the response they gave in the second half.

“There are things that cannot be explained. It seemed that, in the second half, Vitorino [Antunes], [Luís] Neto, [Sebastián] Coates, João Pereira, Matheus Nunes… all came on… It was special and much more important than what happened on Tuesday [the 4 -1 win over Manchester City]. Everyone who has been here in recent years was out there on the pitch with us, and there was no way they could lose this game. I was already a champion with the club I love, but this moment was unbelievable. The third and fourth goals had a very special meaning for me. It had to be like this. It would be like a film, in which everything worked out well. I leave here very happy,” he told the media, who themselves praised Amorim for his attitude and relationship with them over the last few years.

“I felt that if we scored a goal, our team would be fresher and we could turn things around. The difference in time between games had an influence. Until that goal we were very stagnant, lacking emotion, speed and even passion. It was a tough two weeks,” he commented, before highlighting the decisive goals from Morten Hjulmand and Conrad Harder.

“There was a great goal from a great player and captain, who arrived at Sporting CP a year ago. At halftime I heard him shouting in the dressing room. Conrad, because he is Nordic and wants things his way, gets frustrated when he plays, scores and then is put on the bench. In the moments when it was necessary, he was there. He will learn to deal with it, because there is a phenomenon who is playing ahead of him. He will go a long way.”

For the coach, victory in Braga became “one of the most remarkable moments, if not the most remarkable” of his time at Sporting CP, as he summarised it as “like telling our story in 90 minutes.”

Regarding the future of the club, who will have a new coach appointed shortly, Amorim reinforced his confidence in Sporting CP's current direction.

“I have confidence, because I really believe in the players and the new coach. I told the players that there are things that will be different, but the person who will be in my place has the same essence. This was being planned, but it had to be sooner than expected. Not everyone has what I had here: The players have to continue to be humble and they will having to lean on each other and pull certain players up. We also made a point of sharing information with everyone before we left. I will support the people here and this club is well run,” he said in his parting words.