The metamorphosis of Sporting de Portugal or how to revive a team
Manchester’s rival in the round of 16 of the Champions League, history by modern Rúben Amorim, Sporting de Portugal lives one of the best in its history. David Novo, journalist for the newspaper Record, helps us to dissect the Portuguese team.
Manchester City face Sporting de Portugal at Estádio José Alvalade on Tuesday, February 15, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League.
The last clash between the two teams took place in the 201-2012 season, 10 years ago, in the round of 16 of the Europa League. On that occasion, the Lisboners defeated the Mancunians by goals away from home.
In Portugal, the result was 1-0, while at the Etihad Stadium City won 3-2 with a comeback including the skyblues, who were just one goal away from turning the tie.
A lot has changed since then… and 10 years in football is a world. Just look at the rosters of both teams to see how the scenery changed after this scene.
From City of Agüero, Touré Yaya, Silva, Balotelli to City of Rúben Dias, Kevin de Bruyne, bernard Silva, fuck. A glorious considered for the skyblues in which time came to dominate British football and the decade one of the best European times.
David Novo from our rival let us know ours. The Portuguese journalist believes that the options for surprise are scarce:
City. season. More than that is very complicated.”
ruben amorim, the key to change
Sporting de Portugal has undergone a major metamorphosis in recent years. In the season they were assigned to the Primeira Liga after 19 years of winning it.
Coach Rúben Amorim took over in March 2020. After turning 37, this reference in Portuguese football (Belenenses, 2003-2008 and Benfica, 2008-2017, with completely to Sporting de Braga in 2012-2013), changed a whole dynamics.
“Rúben Amorim is a very good coach. He has won four trophies in less than 2 years. It’s one thing to win the League Cup and another to win the League. The league championship had not been won in 19 years. Is a long time. Many tried, but only he succeeded”, explains Novo.
After triumphing as a coach in Sporting de Braga’s main team, where he was only two months, Sporting de Portugal came looking for him. They paid €10m for him in March 2020, the third-highest amount paid by a manager at the time, surpassed only by Brendan Rogers and André Villas-Boas.
Two years later, the 10 million might not seem like much. Sporting de Portugal won the triple crown: Liga-Cup da Liga-Supercup Portugal last season.
This season, they finished repeating their League Cup success and qualified for the Champions League round of 16 for the third time in their history.
“I think Rúben Amorim should coach the best clubs in Europe. When? I don’t know, but I think it will happen”, Novo when talking about the Portuguese coach.
defensive solidity, the differential of this sport
Since his arrival, Rúben Amorim has gifted him with a kind of 3-4-3/3-4-1-2 that has very organized the team and, above all, they have given him great security.
Sporting de Portugal is a team built from behind. Last season’s title came largely thanks to the team’s ability to protect: just 20 goals in 34 games. In this campaign it is the team with the fewest goals as well.
The responsible? Three great signings (who arrived in the summer of 2020 under Amorim) and the great captain.
Let’s do it by steps. In goal, Antonio Adán was consolidated (and in what way!). The Spanish goalkeeper, with just a few minutes at Atlético de Madrid, overshadowed by Oblak, went to Lisbon to start and is experiencing one of the moments of his career at the age of 34.
“Adán, for his safety, for his regularity, for me he is the best goalkeeper in the Portuguese League. He is 34 years old and has a lot of experience. He worked with goalkeepers. Now he finds the perfect club to have a very good 2-3-4. He is a very complete goalkeeper”, says Novo about the Spanish goalkeeper.
In the defensive line, Zouhair Feddal, from Betis, and Gonçalo Inácio, from the lower categories, were also very important.
Special mention to the Uruguayan Sebastián Coates. He arrived in 2017 and has since grown to become captain and soul of the team. At the time of the League title, with him on the field, Sporting de Portugal did not concede a goal 19 times. In addition, he scored 5 goals (a true specialist in set pieces).
“Coates is enjoying his best years with Rúben Amorim. For his status, for his importance in the locker room, for his importance on the pitch. He speaks and the others listen to the captain. He is the highlight of the defense, like Record about here”, the Uruguayan journalist stands out.
Amorim accredited in the squad
One of the historic characteristics of Sporting de Portugal has always been its youth training. Talents like Paolo Futre, Luis Figo or Rui Patricio, lower categories of the Lisbon team.
However, in the last decade the team has been orphaned by great talent.
Amorim wants to change this dynamic. With him, young people like Nuno Mendes, Joelson Fernandes, Eduardo Quaresma and Tiago Tomás had good opportunities.
Recently, the chosen ones have already been chosen by categories such as Palhinha or the one mentioned as holders.
“Gonçalo Inácio is a very good player. He has already been called up to the national team. I think he will always be called up to the national team for years to come. Portugal needs young defenders. Inácio Anos, with an explanation of Rúben’s defense, I think will be a duo for many years to come.
If a team player there is whom the finalists team spotlight can be from the round of 16 in the next 11 League in the champions first game doubt as a child loved to eat).
This 23-year-old midfielder is the beacon that guides the team’s offensive play. He arrived in the summer of 2020 from Famalicão and soon became the “shipowner” Amorim needed.
Despite being a midfielder, he scored 23 goals in 32 league games last season, these are scandalous numbers. In fact, he was the top scorer of the Portuguese first division.
His mid-range shot and ball-carrying ability make him lethal. He also has good movement behind the midfielders, City will have to mark him man to man.
David Novo alerts us to the virtues of the “Pote”: “He has a spectacular shooting facility. He is a player who scores goals by making passes to the goal. His kick has a lot of class and simple definition. It’s very good. He scored 23 goals last season without being a number 9”.
That same season, in the group stage, he was the most definitive player against Borussia Dortmund, and his team was second in the group, sending the Germans to the Europa League. With 4 goals and 2 assists, he has been the leader of the Portuguese, appearing mainly in the main games.
Pedro Gonça is other names.