by ONE Sporting’s 2-1 Clasico defeat by Porto left the green and whites with an almost impossible task of winning the national champion title at the end of the current season.
With 14 rounds to go in the I Liga, Rúben Amorim’s side are already 15 points behind leaders Benfica, with Sporting de Braga, the last place to qualify for next season’s Champions League, are already eight points away.
“I have confidence in myself that we will turn the situation around, but if the club doesn’t want me, I’m leaving. Until that happens, I’ll change the situation,” shot Ruben Amorim afterwards. the Clasico defeat by Porto. A feeling shared by the former manager of Sporting, Dias Ferreira.
In an exclusive interview with Sports to the minutethe former Sporting leadership candidate says he sees no reason to sack Ruben Amorim, blaming the team’s lack of experience for this defeat in Albalade.
“I have no reason not to trust Rúben Amorim. I don’t lose that confidence just because of a defeat. Clearly, what FC Porto lacks is the playing experience that FC Porto has and the superiority in terms of team conditions.” , began by saying Dias Ferreira, who made a comparison between the final of the League Cup and this one, for the championship.
“On the other [final da Taça da Liga], we were harmed by the arbitration. In this, I think there is nothing, beyond one thing or another that is not decisive. I will not comment on the refereeing. The fairest result would be a draw. I have never seen FC Porto’s superiority so great. What’s missing is a continuous and lasting experience,” he added.
For Dias Ferreira, one of the problems with the team is the fact that players who made the difference to the team, such as Joao Palinha, Mateus Nunes and Pedro Porro, were sold and no replacements were brought in to match those names.
“The team was crippled by their best elements. Although they tried to replace them, this team was crippled compared to last year, and if we compare it to two years ago… Last season, Sporting kept the same points, but others can also be champions. The opponents deserved this achievement more, but Sporting had a championship practically until the end and could win. This is the most unusual year since Ruben Amorim got there. And then he has to think that Sporting, meanwhile, lost Palhinha, Matheus Nunes in just one season, after losing Sarabia and Nuno Mendes. Now, there’s still Porro. The team that could have given us guarantees and grow up she’s not the same anymore. I don’t know if it’s anyone’s fault or not,” she argued, before adding.
“The problem is deeper and I don’t like to discuss these issues just because of a defeat, I am discussing fundamental issues. Sporting will not go anywhere as long as they have to sell the best players to survive. This Sporting has no conditions. not to compete not even in the domestic market, let alone in the international one”, he emphasized.
The club’s former chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Assembly from Alvalade, Dias Ferreira, believes that Sporting should give up its majority in SAD to be able to channel investments that allow the club to grow without having to get rid of better players team players.
“And this is not the fault of the high investments in previous seasons. It is related to a project that has not yet received its financial aspect and it is necessary. SAD must have one or two partners who invest money that Sporting does not have on its own only to invest. This obsessive insistence on maintaining the majority has its cost, and it shows. Let’s not think there are miracles, that there aren’t. There may be a year or two when a miracle happens, But then reality comes always at the top. Those who have to sell players cannot aim to be competitive and win every year,” emphasized Dias Ferreira.
Regarding the Clássico defeat, the former president of MAG leonina saw a team betrayed by youth, justifying Rúben Amorim for the changes to the starting line-up against FC Porto.
“The team felt the FC Porto goal very much. It was a bad luck goal for the team. It shook the team a bit,” Diaz Ferreira said, adding:
“The choice of Fatau in the starting line-up was a technical choice, so much so that Nuno Santos came on in the second half. Ruben Amorim explained it and people can accept it or not. I didn’t see that Sporting were inferior in the first half with O Fatawu, who made some moves and kept FC Porto’s right-back more contained. I also saw him make two or three passes that could have had different results. I really like Nuno Santos and the way he crosses, but it wasn’t particularly happy. He was not where he was lost. I can observe and say that I do not agree with the changes. I thought that Trincão was changed too early, for the reason that Amorim explained later. I was not worried and surprised by the team that started The game. And it didn’t even start badly. But when the coach realized that there is a player who was sick but wanted to play… Deep down, the coach felt diminished and replaced him. Things are explained,” he said e. he said.
For the Lions, an important Europa League tie against Midland of Denmark follows, one of the few goals the green and whites still have this season, after being eliminated from the Portuguese Cup and losing in the Cup Final. on. For the former coach, the leonine team must stay focused on third place and make a living in the Europa League.
“Sporting must continue to bet, game by game, in the Europa League and in the league, trying to add the necessary points to reach, at least, the third place that gives access to the playoffs of the Champions League. These are the only goals that Sporting has today and they are very similar to those of Benfica who however have a great team and who are only fighting for the Champions League and the league. So far and with so many millions invested they have not won anything and they won before three four years,” shot the former candidate for the leadership of the Lisbon club.
Dias Ferreira also stresses that miracles should not be asked of Ruben Amorim when Sporting are far from having the same conditions to compete for the title of national champion with Porto and Benfica, never mind that this was a bad season for the lions.
“The next season should start preparing in January, whether it is the first or the last ranking. Not only in terms of acquisitions, but also the future. If the team was in the first position and in championship conditions, things should be prepared anyway. Seasons must be prepared in advance. Anyone who has already lived 40 years of bad times and only five ended well… That’s no reason to be impressed,” he shot, anticipating Reuben’s next. Amorim .
“At the moment, I feel the future only with Rúben Amorim. The media insists a lot on playing with Rúben Amorim. My answer will always be the same. Who will they look for a better coach than him? A coach who accepts a project that it will be based on the training and that they will sell the players… After all this I can’t demand Ruben Amorim to perform miracles, which I know he doesn’t. If I go to Fatima on foot, I don’t expect even a Miracle. let’s be logical about what we say,” Dias Ferreira continued.
“But there is always this insistence on creating a bad relationship among the associative mass at Sporting, and that is a product that can be sold to the media. What is the bad result that Sporting got from this stability? Maybe, the bad it was where Ruben Amorim won the league in his first full season at Sporting. People have become very demanding, but I’m not. I know that Sporting don’t have the same conditions as others to systematically challenge for the league. There are also others. People have I don’t understand that there is this essential difference. But Benfica and Porto also have a very big financial gap for international clubs. Sporting not only have it domestically, but also internationally. Anyone who doesn’t have that realism sees things… I understand the bigotry, but it can’t go that far,” he concluded.
Also read: Ruben Amorim receives bad news for Sporting’s return to training
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