André Cruz warns before Napoli v Sporting: This must not happen | OneFootball

Napoli vs Sporting, which will take place next Wednesday, October 1st, marks a special occasion for... André Cruz, the Brazilian player who played for both teams. The former footballer gave his preview of the second round match of the Champions League, in which he ended up revealing that he considers the Italians favorites – who are keeping an eye on Alvalade – even though he sides with the Lions.

"It will be a very difficult game for both teams – and both teams are close to my heart. Sporting a little more, because there I was able to achieve everything I wanted – great matches, leading, scoring goals, and winning titles. Of course, I would have liked to win a Champions League, to have won more titles in Portugal, but unfortunately it didn’t happen; at Napoli, I also feel that I left my mark, and whenever there’s a feature like – ‘The best defenders in the club’s history’ – they immediately send it to me! It’s a sign that I worked hard, that I dedicated myself. My heart will be a little more painted green and white, but only because I managed to achieve everything I set out to do," he began, speaking to Record newspaper.

When asked how Rui Borges’ team should approach the match, André Cruz was clear: "Playing at home, Napoli are favorites. It’s not the same team I knew – which ended up in Serie C, saved by Mr. Aurelio de Laurentiis, who would later bring the club back to Serie A – and to winning titles. They are favorites, but Sporting should not, under any circumstances, fear their opponent, or sit back; they should attack, be aggressive, show grit, and show that they are also a strong team, with players who make a difference."

"Sporting is consolidating itself – that’s what I thought they should have done right after the 2020/21 title, and they did it. They are establishing themselves domestically as a winning team; now, they need to transfer that to the Champions League. The pressure and responsibility are great, but I believe Sporting can, of course, manage to stay among the top teams in European football," he added.

"A defender with my technique? There isn’t one [laughs]. I don’t have favorite players, because there’s also no Ronaldinho, no Phenomenon, no Messi, no Cristiano Ronaldo, no Zidane... Players who truly make the difference, with extraordinary class. Even so, when we look at Sporting, we see that it’s a team that plays simple but effective football. When you look at what matters, it’s about playing great games and winning. Gyökeres ended up making the difference with his goals... Of course, you need to have those kinds of players, but above all, a coach needs to have a group of players who give him guarantees. They will take Sporting to greater heights, without a doubt," André Cruz emphasized.

Finally, the former Lions player left a message directly for the fans: "To my dear Sporting fans, ‘Força Sporting – Always!’ Sporting is in my heart and I can’t wait to return, especially because so much has changed... I want to take my family to discover a spectacular country – Portugal – so my enormous affection goes out to those wonderful fans; and my affection also goes to the Napoli supporters, who also care for me. I receive many messages from them. It’s been many years since I’ve been there – to Europe in general," he concluded.

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