Sporting coach believes Portugal will qualify for the 2022 World Cup – Observer
Sporting coach Ruben Amorim said this Wednesday he believed in the qualification of the Portuguese football team for Mundial2022 and recalled that Portugal is used to qualifying for major competitions through the play-off.
“It’s looking at the current champion of Europe [Itália], who had to beat Northern Ireland and didn’t. The games are all difficult and we are going to improve and be at the Worlds. I really believe in that. I’m a young guy, but I’m still from the time when we were always going to the play-off, even as a player, we’re used to that”, said the lions coach in Alcochete.
Amorim was speaking at a press conference, previewing the meeting with Varzim, in the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup, but accepted take a look at the moment of the team led by Fernando Santos, to whom, he stressed, doesn’t need to “give tips” to dismantle a system of three defenses, which he always uses at Sporting and which the Portuguese coach admitted to be a difficulty.
“Mr. Fernando Santos is the one who can give me tips, he has much more experience and curriculum than me,” said Amorim.
On the other hand, the lions coach recalled that “what Fernando Santos is going through for days is normal” and “is part” of the life of a football coach.
What Mister Fernando Santos is going through, even winning in the past, will happen to anyone. Therefore, I have to be very focused on my work, because, regardless of the past, what is won, what is done, what counts is tomorrow. It’s the only lesson I take away”, concluded Ruben Amorim.
Portugal will compete in the play-offs for access to the World Cup in Qatar, after having lost on Sunday, at Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, to Serbia 2-1, ending up in second place in group A.