Rui Borges has decided: no one will play Trincão’s role at Sporting | OneFootball

Rodrigo Zalazar will have a different role from the one Francisco Trincão used to play at Sporting. Rui Borges does not intend to turn the €30 million signing into a copy of the Portuguese international and has prepared a role tailored to the Uruguayan’s characteristics.

Even so, there will be some similarities off the ball. Zalazar will be one of the first players involved in Sporting’s press and will have important responsibilities in disrupting the opposition’s build-up. The biggest differences will appear when the green-and-whites have possession.

According to newspaper A Bola, Rui Borges wants to give the midfielder a very wide range of action. The former Braga player will have the freedom to appear on both flanks, through the middle or between the lines, moving closer to his teammates to create overloads, speed up combinations and take on a bigger role in attacking build-up.

The Uruguayan’s greater explosiveness, ball-carrying ability and acceleration are qualities the coaching staff want to exploit. Instead of constantly starting from one specific area, Rodrigo Zalazar is expected to move across different spaces in the final third, looking to make himself harder for opponents to control.

The Sporting signing is also expected to take on greater responsibility from set pieces, especially after Trincão’s departure and with Pedro Gonçalves’ possible transfer looming. Free kicks and corners are some of Zalazar’s weapons, a quality he has already shown during pre-season, and he arrives at Alvalade with the mission of taking on a central role in Rui Borges’ new-look attack.

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