by Ricardo Esgaio, 29, experienced an unusual situation in the classic against Porto when he came on to replace Bellerin in the 54th minute and left in the 70th minute 16 minutes later when Sporting were already losing, conceding their duties . the more aggressive Arthur Gomes.
The right-back is living a complicated season, often being in the eye of the storm of criticism from the leonine supporters, with some compromising mistakes, such as against Braga (3-3), in the first round, against Boavista, in the seventh matchday of the league or with Marseille, the fourth matchday of Group D of the Champions League.
Jose Viterbo, 60, was Ricardo Esgaio’s coach at Académica for half of the 2014/2015 season and has no doubts about how the Nazarene will fare. “Ricciardo will face this moment as he has faced all the others in his life. Above all he is an excellent professional and with his character he will overcome this moment”, he said with conviction.
At the end of the match, Ruben Amorim publicly apologized to Ricardo Esgaio for his choice, which in Viterbo’s opinion puts the matter to rest. “The coaches are the ones who make the choices and are responsible. There is no player who likes to be changed, especially given the moment of the match and the result that has been verified. But the athlete himself, taking into account the years he has already been working with Rúben Amorim, will know how to find a way to resolve the situation so that the matter remains in order. It’s an issue that was completely closed after the game,” he considered.
In fact, Jose Viterbo even praises Ruben Amorim for the way he worked on the mental aspect of the right-back. “I think Richard [Esgaio] he is part of the elite of Portuguese football and the elite of Sporting’s selections. Happy for the player who has a coach who always believes in him and never lets him down. He always gave her a hand, even in the most difficult moments”, he emphasized.
In the words of Jose Viterbo, the way Ruben Amorim tackled Ricardo Esgaio protects the right wing too much. “To give a player morale you don’t put him on the field for 80 consecutive games. For me, morale is when the footballer makes a mistake in a game and the next game the coach sends him back on the field,” he concluded.
After the departure of Pedro Porro to Tottenham, Ricardo Esgaio, who has played 21 games this season, would have a freer path to the title. However, the Lions recruited, for the same place, Spain’s Hector Bellerin, who after being on the bench against Rio Ave – released in the final minutes – was called up to the first team against Porto. , leaving when it already showed signs of wear and tear.
