Rafael Leão names the 3 Sporting players he likes most | OneFootball

Rafael Leão will face Sporting again on matchday one of the Champions League league phase, in a clash that will have special meaning for the Portuguese 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 that recently with my family. Obviously, I hope to return to Sporting one day and manage to win the league title. I think personally I would feel proud, because it is a club I care deeply about and 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 academy at Sporting, so it will be a special match 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 game”.

Leão expects to find 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 beautiful atmosphere. On top of that, the Champions League always provides a fantastic setting. I think all the players will want to give their all to show their value. Sporting are doing very well this year. I also followed pre-season, because there are players there that I really like. My brother is also in the academy, so I have been paying closer attention to Sporting’s matches”.

Among the Sporting players he most admires, the forward singled out a few names he considers important to Rui Borges’s 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 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 very deeply about, 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 assures that the goal is to help Galatasaray win at Alvalade. “As I said before, Sporting is a club I care deeply about, but these days 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.