Rui Borges on signings, Real Madrid, Champions before Rio Ave v Sporting | OneFootball

In the preview of the clash with Rio Ave, Rui Borges stressed that Sporting must maintain maximum standards in this final stage of the season, despite the fatigue, reinforcing that the team is still fighting for qualification for the Champions League. The coach highlighted the difficulties expected against a “strong” opponent, spoke about João Palhinha and Rodrigo Zalazar and about the controversies at Real Madrid.

Rio Ave

“We have to be a Sporting side that demands a lot from itself. We are still in the fight for second place, we have three games left until the end of the season, and a Cup final. We need to create that level of demand to beat Rio Ave, who, despite not having the best results in recent matches, have had a very good second half of the season and have already secured survival. They have nothing to lose. They added good players in January, both in defensive and attacking terms. Very strong on the counterattack and very physical. We are going to have a lot of difficulties. I’ve really liked watching Rio Ave in many games. They have grown a lot compared to the first half of the season. We have to have that individual and collective demand because we have objectives to fulfill.”

Rodrigo Zalazar

“You can keep insisting on that... In recent days, people have been talking more about the market than anything else. I’m not going to talk about players from other clubs. I have three games ahead of me with clear objectives. I can’t even... It feels like we’re already in June or July. It makes no sense to comment on any player. I’m focused on our objectives.”

“I’m not going to talk about Palhinha... I understand your side of it, but I’m not going to talk about players from other clubs. We don’t know what the future holds in terms of departures, let alone arrivals. I’m focused on these last few games, which can give us a lot. We cannot let our guard down, because we’ve already done that enough.”

How do you lead the dressing room and what about the controversy at Real Madrid?

At big clubs, that is the difficulty: the daily management of so many people around us — players, staff... everything. There are a lot of people working. Knowing how to manage egos is natural. In the example you gave... Just players with big egos, with a future and a past that speak for themselves, it’s difficult to manage that. It’s very difficult. Those daily problems happen at every club, perhaps not with that level of seriousness. The biggest gain a coach can have is to look at the group and realize that everyone respects one another and sees quality in each other. Each in their own way, they add something and their teammates believe in that. ‘I’m good in my own way and he’s good in his own way.’ In that respect, I’m fortunate to have a group that respects each other a lot. It’s very important. It comes partly from the work of the coaching staff, which has several members. On the pitch there are so many good coaches in terms of training, but there is another side, which is earning the players’ respect so you can make them believe, understand, and bring them with you. If they don’t believe in you, it’s no use. The message gets across and nothing stays. The biggest challenge is managing to win them over somehow and make them believe in the message. Egos are not easy and sometimes you won’t be able to manage them. That is the great difficulty for a coach nowadays.”

Situation of Daniel Bragança and Diogo Travassos

“Travassos is a Sporting player and has had a great season at Moreirense, on loan. Everything indicates that he has to report at the start of the new season. He has scored goals and provided assists and has been playing in a position that is not his natural one. He has been playing as a winger. It has been growth built on two very good seasons in the Primeira Liga, especially because he is a player for a big team. He earned the right to be with us. I’m happy with the season he has had. Dani is a captain, a leader, and important within the group. He has a contract with Sporting and a renewal does not depend much on the coach. There is the coach, the board, the player... There are several factors that have to come together for a contract renewal to happen, or not. He is a player we all like and want to have in the squad. We are counting on him for next season. Renewal is a process and, in due time, we will see whether it happens or not.”

Players’ focus

It’s about asking for focus, high standards, discipline and professionalism. In these last 15 days, a team that was fighting for everything can no longer be champions. We have the Cup and we have to keep them switched on, because the wear and tear is enormous. It is difficult to maintain the same rhythm. It is a huge challenge. A lot depends on them. My message is very much along those lines. We are with the balloon full, then it becomes empty and it is difficult to get the balloon back up again. In the final they will be fully switched on, but on a daily basis the fatigue is enormous. It is natural for the players not to have the balloon full. It is natural for motivation to drop, because of everything the season has been. I am too: travel, conferences... Months like this and at this maximum level of demand. We are no longer going to achieve our biggest objective, to be national champions, and it is natural for the players to feel that. That is the difficult part.”

Structure

“We always take that into account. Every signing is thoroughly studied, guaranteed. Perhaps it is the first parameter, but as the President said, there are things we do not control. I believe that in four years clubs will have 50 players. With the number of games... We were left short at decisive moments. Sporting does not have the financial capacity to have a squad of 40 players of the same quality. Now, what we can control, at least minimally, is combed through in fine detail. It is one of the first parameters in any signing. The other part we do not control.”

Will the squad undergo a revolution and what is the impact of the Champions League?

“Naturally, that may change one thing or another, but the financial side changes. There is no getting away from that. Revolution? The market will decide that. Apart from Morita, we have all the players under contract and we are always attentive to adjustments. Now, end of a cycle or renewal, no. There are players who may want a different path, like Morita. Among those who have contracts, there may be one or two. But they will not leave just because. They have release clauses. (...) We are always alert and prepared for that.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.