Defender confident about Sporting’s title hopes: We’re going for the treble | OneFootball

Five seasons, six trophies, and 222 games later, Matheus Reis said goodbye to Sporting to join CSKA Moscow, convinced that he leaves behind a “spectacular legacy” at Alvalade. The Brazilian defender even believes he may add another title to his collection: the national three-peat.

"I have no doubt that they – we, because I’m still part of it – will win the three-peat. Being a champion with Sporting is different, it’s an indescribable feeling. I truly believe it, I have a lot of faith. The right attitude must always be present, that’s what can never be missing. You can miss a pass or a throw-in, but you can never stop running, never stop fighting. That’s what will bring us the three-peat," he said in an interview with Sporting TV.

The full-back also highlighted the spirit of the Sporting locker room, which he considers to be made up of a “group of warriors and lions.” "They will achieve great things. A lion never steps back. There is no tomorrow, it’s win or die. That’s the feeling that remains. It’s about fighting in every game as if it were the last," he emphasized.

Matheus Reis also recalled the lessons learned alongside former captains. "I learned a lot from our captains, Seba [Coates], [Luís] Neto, Adán, etc. It was a huge learning experience. Seba won everything there was to win and always remained humble. Neto too. It’s a tremendous responsibility. If we need to be tough, we’re tough, but sometimes it’s also about listening to what [the players] think and feel. Our youngsters are on the right path, they will bring a lot of joy to our fans," he explained.

About the moment he received the armband, he confessed: "When I got the news, I started looking back: ‘Wow, look at everything I went through here and how hard I fought to reach this moment...’. I was prepared, I knew my time would come. I always had the humility to listen and to learn. It was the cherry on top of the cake."

Now in Russia, he guarantees that he will continue to support the lions from afar and leaves an appeal to maintain the winning mentality: "Sporting is an extension of me and my family. It means everything in my life. When I arrived, I was coming from a difficult time, many didn’t believe in my potential. I worked hard and then the achievements followed. The legacy I leave for Sporting fans is the desire to win and defend the club. Every player who comes to Sporting must have at least that, the will to give their best, to fight for the club, to want to win titles. May more players with that profile, of fight and battle, come. We cannot lose the aura that has been created in recent years. I thank everyone for their affection and messages. I leave with my head held high. Mission accomplished. My heart is a lion, always," he concluded.

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