Miguel Queiroz: “A title is at stake and we believe we can win” | OneFootball

With the pre-season over, FC Porto return to official competition this Saturday to contest the basketball Super Cup against Sporting, winners of the Portuguese Cup, at 4pm at the Albufeira Sports Pavilion. Miguel Queiroz, captain of the national champions, previewed a demanding clássico, played down the results of the warm-up games, and highlighted the strength of the group and the fans. For the first title of the new season, he assured: “We will fight until the end as if it were the last game of our lives.”

Miguel Queiroz approaches the reunion with an opponent the Dragons know well with renewed ambition. After several weeks of work, the captain sees a team ready to start all over again, aware that a Super Cup allows no distractions and does not let anyone live off what was achieved in the previous season.

The return of official games brings excitement, but also responsibility. Miguel Queiroz praised the work done during pre-season and the conditions provided by FC Porto, while not hiding that there is still room for improvement.

“We’re finally back. It’s another season with a lot of ambition to achieve good things. Playing in a Super Cup is always a good sign, it means that we almost always won something in the previous season, as is the case now. But this is a new season and we have the responsibility to understand that we have to start all over again,” he said. “The team has done a good job in this pre-season and I thank the Club for giving us the conditions we needed to be in the best possible shape at this point in the season. We have grown a lot in pre-season, but we know we still have a lot of growing to do. It’s a game worth a title and we believe we can do it.”

The message combines confidence and caution: the past opened the door to this contest, but it offers no advantage once the ball starts rolling. The title demands that the progress made in pre-season be expressed immediately in a decisive game.

Speaking about Sporting, the captain ruled out any possibility of a tactical surprise. Their mutual familiarity makes the clássico more predictable in preparation, but no less tough in execution.

“It’s going to be a very difficult game. We know Sporting and Sporting know us,” he analysed. “In these games there isn’t that element of not knowing the opponent, and we know perfectly well what to expect. It’s going to be a very tough game, with two good teams and good players involved. We hope to come out on top in the end.”

Without the factor of the unknown, every detail carries even more weight. Miguel Queiroz expects balance and difficulty, but makes no secret of the outcome FC Porto want.

Not even the two wins achieved during preparation lead the captain to draw any firm conclusions. The friendlies served to work and make adjustments, while the Super Cup belongs to a different competitive category.

“The results say very little because they are preparation games and teams are often at different stages of pre-season. Pre-season games are always relative, because what we are mainly looking for is to grow as a team and fine-tune details,” he explained. “These games are different and with an even higher degree of difficulty.”

The reading is clear: the scoreboard in the warm-up matches carries no guarantees into Albufeira. Now the context changes, the demands rise, and every possession takes on the weight of a title.

Pre-season also included a four-day trip to Angola. Despite the difficulties of the journey, Miguel Queiroz highlighted the connection to a country where basketball is hugely popular and the chance to grow closer to the Angolan community.

“It was a difficult trip, but it was a good experience. We went to a country where basketball is very loved, and it was good for us to get closer to the Angolan community. This year we have Childe [Dundão], so I think we’re going to have the Angolan community out in force at Dragão Arena and we really want to be close to them,” he said. “It was a great experience and we came away richer for it, without a doubt. It was four days that felt like a week.”

The wear and tear did not diminish the value of the experience. Between the effort of the trip and the closeness created, the Dragons returned with a stronger bond to a community they also hope to see at Dragão Arena.

Internally, the captain found dynamics that were already well established. The quality of the relationship between the players, on and off the court, allowed him to take on the captain’s armband without needing to change the way the group functioned.

“Since I arrived, I realised that the group dynamics were very good, not only on the court but also off it. I didn’t have to do much as captain because the work had already been done,” he acknowledged. “We have a good group, a group that likes to train and play, and I hope that comes across to the fans.”

More than a statement about leadership, it is a picture of collective continuity. Miguel Queiroz wants the enjoyment of work and of the game to be visible to those who follow the team, starting now in the Super Cup.

Albufeira is far from home, but the captain does not expect FC Porto to be without support. Between the presence of his family and the messages he has received from fans, he believes the Porto support will be felt in the stands.

“We’re far from our fans, but for me it’s good because I’ll have my family out in force watching the game. It always warms my heart when my family is there. We Porto fans are everywhere, so I’m sure we’ll have a lot of support. I’ve already received a lot of messages from people who are going to Albufeira, so I believe we’ll have a good number of fans supporting us,” he stressed. “Even if there are only a few of them, we are the best in the world and we will fill the arena. We players will fight until the very last possession. We will fight until the end as if it were the last game of our lives.”

The final promise sums up the spirit with which the national champions approach the first trophy of the season: support in the stands, commitment on the court, and a fight until the very last possession. For Miguel Queiroz, distance does not lessen the Porto presence or the obligation to contest every moment to the limit.

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