Rafael Leão names his 3 favourite players in Sporting's squad | OneFootball

Rafael Leão will face Sporting again on the opening matchday of the Champions League league phase, in a clash that will carry special meaning for the Portugal international. The Galatasaray forward came through the entire youth system at Alvalade and does not hide the affection he still feels for the Club, while also highlighting Flávio Gonçalves, Issa Doumbia and Geny Catamo.

Speaking to Sport TV, the player revealed that he has already discussed that possibility with his family: “I even spoke about it recently with my relatives. Obviously, I hope to return to Sporting one day and win a league title. I think I would personally feel proud, because it is a club I care about deeply and the one that gave me the opportunity to make my professional debut. So I’m leaving the door open for the future. Whenever I play here for the national team, the support from the fans is unique. I always feel at home, as you know. I came through the entire youth system at Sporting, so it will be a special game for me. Always respecting the opponent and defending my team, which is Galatasaray, I have also warned my teammates that it will be a difficult match”.

Leão expects a special atmosphere at Sporting’s stadium and believes the competition itself helps make the match even more memorable: “I think it will be a great atmosphere. On top of that, the Champions League always creates a fantastic atmosphere. I think all the players will want to give their all to show their quality. Sporting are doing very well this year. I also followed pre-season, because there are players there that I admire. My brother is in the academy too, so I have been paying closer attention to Sporting’s matches”.

Among the Sporting players he rates most highly, the forward singled out a few names he considers important to Rui Borges’ team: “Flávio and Doumbia are also players with a lot of quality. Catamo too, they are players I like a lot and who bring different things to the games. They are also important players in the team’s structure, in the way they play with the ball. And they are players we have to pay close attention to. It will be a different kind of game, in the sense that it is between clubs. It will be the first time I face Sporting. It is a club I care about a lot, a club that helped me grow as a man and as a player. They gave me the opportunity to make my debut as a player”.

Despite the emotional connection, Leão guarantees that the objective is to help Galatasaray win at Alvalade. “As I said before, Sporting is a club I care about a lot, but nowadays I cannot focus on Sporting. I am representing Galatasaray, which is the club and the shirt I wear today. As I said before, we will come here to try to get the win. Obviously, Sporting have a very strong team, with players who can make the difference at any moment”.

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