Sporting stalwart puts João Simões on the spot: You scared? | OneFootball

João Simões was a starter for the first time this season, in Sporting's defeat in Naples (2-1). Rui Borges explained the decision to play the midfielder, revealing to the fans that, during the warm-up, he tried to see if the 'number 52' was "scared" to be starting.

"João Simões, at 18 years old, filled the field and played a great game... He is a kid who was very important in winning the back-to-back championship and the Portuguese Cup last season," admitted the Sporting coach, after the final whistle of the match.

Rui Borges revealed that, even before the start of the match, he tried to see if the midfielder was nervous: "I am not surprised by the maturity they showed, and I gave the example of Simões, who, this year, hadn't played, and suddenly, the coach tells him, an hour before the game, that he will be starting against Napoli and his response... I even joked with him... I asked him 'Are you scared?', during the warm-up, and he said no. He is an extraordinary kid and played a great game, nothing I wasn't expecting."

"Simões was a strategic choice, although we also have to manage Morita, because he is coming back from an injury, and there are things we know that outsiders don't notice, and I can't be the most honest and sincere here, but strategically, we knew Simões could be an important player, even because of the physical ability he has and brought to the team throughout the game," concluded Rui Borges.

This season, wearing the Sporting jersey, João Simões - valued at 6 million euros - has played three matches. In this season's start, the midfielder trained at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy has 81 minutes: 78 in the Champions League and two in the League. It is worth remembering that the 'number 52' of the lions recently returned from a long injury break.

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