Sporting plane delayed by technical issues, late arrival in Naples | OneFootball

Sporting's journey to Naples suffered an unexpected setback this Tuesday. The Sporting delegation, which arrived at Humberto Delgado Airport around 2:20 p.m. to board their flight to Italy, saw their departure delayed due to a technical problem with the aircraft. The flight was scheduled to take off about half an hour after the team's arrival.

According to club sources, the plane that was to transport the team to southern Italy suffered a malfunction that forced all boarding procedures to be suspended. By late afternoon, the aircraft still had not taken off, and there was no new estimated departure time. The coaching staff and players remain in Lisbon awaiting instructions.

This logistical setback had a direct impact on the team's schedule. The pre-match press conference for the Champions League game, scheduled for 6:45 p.m., had to be postponed. Statements from coach Rui Borges and a player were planned, but the club has not yet announced a new time for the session.

Sporting will face Napoli this Wednesday, in the second round of the Champions League, where Georgios Vagiannidis hopes to make his debut in the competition. The match is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Preparation for this crucial clash is therefore affected by this unexpected travel issue.

Despite the setback, the club still expects to travel tonight. The coaching staff hopes the situation will be resolved in time to ensure a timely arrival in Italy, maintaining their competitive focus. UEFA has not yet commented on any possible changes to the match schedule.

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