Pote breaks silence on Sporting exit: “I wanted to play, but…” | OneFootball

Pedro Gonçalves has not forgotten Sporting. Now at Fiorentina, the attacking midfielder looked back on his time at Alvalade, spoke about the circumstances of his departure last summer, and left a message of great gratitude to the Club and the Sporting fans.

In an interview with Sport TV, Pote was asked about the limited playing time he had during pre-season and whether that situation influenced his move to Italy. “In pre-season I always tried to do my best. Everyone wants to play, nobody wants to be left out, and I’m no different. I wanted to take part and play, but that was decided from the start and I had to respect it.”

The former Sporting player explained that he always tried to remain professional, despite the uncertainty surrounding his future. “I tried to keep working so I wouldn’t lose my fitness and would be at least somewhat prepared, whether I stayed or left. I tried to be as professional as possible and train as hard as I could. It turned out this way, because that’s how it had to be...”.

When asked to leave a message for Sporting supporters, Pote did not hide the importance the Club had in his career. “I’m very grateful to Sporting; everything I am and everything I have today is because of Sporting. I’m also very grateful to the fans for always showing me such affection.”

The Portugal international went even further when expressing his wishes for the Lions’ future. “I only wish them the best of luck in the world, because I was very happy at Sporting. I hope they win every game and become champions every year”.

Now at Fiorentina, Pote says he is happy with his first spell in Italy. “It has been a very good experience, I’m enjoying it a lot. The club is very welcoming and feels like a family, which I really like, because they are people who enjoy making others feel at home. I’m trying to adapt as quickly as possible and I think everything is going well so far.”

The former Sporting shirt also still has the goal of returning to the national team. “I’ve been there before, it’s a group I identify with, now with a new coach and new ideas. It’s a place I like being, and I’m going to try to give my best here. It only depends on me and, as far as it depends on me, I’ll do my best so that one day I can be called up. It’s up to me to work as hard as possible at club level.”

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