Failed Sporting move opens up on dramatic moment and admits: It hurt | OneFootball

Jota Silva once again recalled the move to Sporting that collapsed in the final moments of the 2025 summer transfer window . The Portugal international, now at Olympiacos, did not hide the fact that he very much wanted to wear green and white and work again with Rui Borges.

In an interview with newspaper A Bola, the former Vitória de Guimarães player spoke openly about those moments. “They were difficult moments, and I won’t hide it: at the time I really wanted to play for Sporting. Sporting really wanted me too, and I really wanted to work again with coach Rui Borges."

The deal ultimately fell through by just one minute, which made the episode particularly memorable. “The opportunity came up and we all tried to make it happen. Everyone wanted the best possible deal — Sporting, Nottingham Forest and me. Everyone wanted me to be in a good place, I’m sure of that. No one wanted to harm me, but these are football things. It hurt.”

Jota Silva also explained that the move to Alvalade would have been particularly important on a personal level as well. “I’m not going to hide that returning to Portugal at that moment was important. Rita and I wanted to become parents, so it would have been good to be in Portugal and close to our loved ones. When you believe things are going to happen, you start planning.”

Although the transfer did not go through, the connection with Rui Borges remained. “I spoke with him as I speak with many coaches I had during my career and with whom I built a strong bond. We speak fairly regularly, but we no longer talk about that,” the winger revealed.

The Portugal international also had strong praise for Sporting’s current coach. “The coach’s work is there for everyone to see: he arrived, became champion, won the Portuguese Cup and had an excellent run in the Champions League. He has a lot of quality, otherwise he wouldn’t be coaching Sporting. I’m very happy for him and for the person he is. He always helped me. He is a great coach,” added Jota Silva.

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