Leonino exclusive: Sporting's Belgian is low at Alvalade, but fights on | OneFootball

Zaïd Bafdili had expected to have more opportunities at this stage of the season with Sporting’s B team, Leonino has learned. The 18-year-old Belgian midfielder was hoping to earn his place in the opening rounds and take on a more prominent role in the side coached by Tiago Fernandes, but the reality has fallen short of what he had envisioned for this start to the campaign.

So far, he has played only two minutes, after being brought on against Farense and coming on in the 89th minute against Feirense. Despite the situation, according to what our newspaper has learned, the youngster does not hide his sadness at not playing as much as he had hoped.

Bafdili’s goal was to take a step forward this season, after last year splitting his playing time between different levels of Sporting’s academy and the B team, and he saw 2026/27 as an important opportunity to gain prominence and show his worth.

Competition in midfield has also made his task more difficult. Mateo Tanlongo and Samuel Justo have moved ahead in Tiago Fernandes’ pecking order and have been used more regularly, leaving Bafdili in a secondary role.

Even so, the situation has not changed the player’s determination. Despite the natural frustration over his limited minutes, the defensive midfielder has no intention of giving up or letting this start to the season define his path. His aim is to keep working every day, make the most of every opportunity that comes his way, and fight to earn a place in the B team. The idea is to take it step by step: first win minutes and a bigger role in the B team, and then convince Sporting’s hierarchy that he is ready to make the jump to the first team.

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