'Boca' to Sporting? Alcochete talent shines in Brazil, hopeful | OneFootball

Nuno Moreira believes he had enough quality to have been given a chance at a big club in Portugal. The full-back, who came up through the ranks at Sporting, left Casa Pia in the last transfer window for Vasco da Gama, where he has been performing well. He gave an interview to the newspaper A Bola, where he reflected on his time in Portuguese football as well as his stay in Brazil.

"From the very first day I arrived here, both professionally and personally, things have gone well for me. I love the city. My girlfriend and I have also adapted well to living here in Rio de Janeiro. And professionally as well, I’ve been lucky enough to put in good performances, contributing with goals and assists. In fact, I’m very happy here," he began, speaking about his adventure in Brazil.

Nuno Moreira continued, regarding his time in his home country: "I believe I already had the quality, I was mature enough both as a person and as a player to play for a big club, the opportunity just didn’t come, and I’m also very happy here. So, these are not things that keep me up at night."

"He’s someone who really loves football, with very strong emotions, he doesn’t let us rest for a second, and since he arrived we have improved a lot; not only collectively, but also individually, all the players have stepped up their performances. I’m very happy about that," he said, referring to Fernando Diniz, his coach at Vasco da Gama.

The former Sporting player finished with comparisons to the national league: "It’s on the scale of the big clubs in Portugal. There are more fans, which is normal given the population, but the pressure within the club, from the inside out and from the outside in, is very similar to what it’s like playing for a big club in Portugal. Vasco is huge, it was used to fighting for titles, maybe it’s a bit like what happened with Sporting, before Ruben Amorim… They couldn’t win titles, Vasco might be going through that phase, but it’s still a giant club, with immense pressure."

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