Rui Borges scraps Sporting habit, brings in new pre-match routine | OneFootball

Rui Borges has introduced new routines at Sporting for the preparation of matches played at Estádio José Alvalade, with the aim of creating greater unity within the group. Unlike what happened previously, the squad now gathers at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy on the eve of home games.

According to the newspaper ‘Record’, the players meet in Alcochete around dinnertime, eat together, and then remain at the Academy overnight. The change allows match-specific preparation to begin earlier on the day of the game itself.

On the morning of the match, the group carries out the usual activation training session as part of the training camp, without needing to report only a few hours before kick-off. Rui Borges - who has been focused on preparing for the restart after the international break - thus intends to increase the team’s concentration time before matches at Alvalade.

The new routine still does not prevent the players from having time to be with family or friends. Before reporting to the Academy, the footballers still have a few free hours, after which they shift their full focus to preparing for the match.

Logistics have also changed. In the past, the players would initially gather at Estádio José Alvalade and only then travel to Alcochete. More recently, they have started going directly, by their own means, to Sporting’s Academy.

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