Striker shown the door by Bruno de Carvalho apologises to Sporting | OneFootball

The stint of Valeri Bojinov at Sporting, although quite short - he only played 16 games for the lions -, remains in the memory of the green and white fans, but not for the best reasons. Nevertheless, the former Bulgarian footballer commented on his time in Portugal and ended up apologizing.

"Portugal is a unique country for me. It was an honor, a pleasure, a privilege, and a respect to get to know the traditions, the people, mentality, the gastronomy, and above all, the culture. Lisbon is an incredible city, the climate is wonderful, sunny. I can only thank for the wonderful moments in Portugal and, especially, for the incredible people of Lisbon," he began by saying in an interview with the newspaper A Bola.

When asked about the penalty he missed after preventing Matías Fernández from taking it - which earned him a disciplinary process -, the former Juventus player ended up retracting: "Look... I can only thank Sporting for everything. It was an honor to play for one of the most media-covered teams in Portugal, with fantastic fans. Then I can only say one thing: we are human. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to understand them and recognize them. If I offended anyone, especially the fans, now is the time to apologize for the situation and the incident. I apologize. Sporting is a great club, the fans are incredible. To the club and fans, I wish all the best, with my heart and soul."

Next, Bojinov analyzed his career, as he brought some portfolio when he arrived at Alvalade. The former player spoke about the adaptation process: "I played in what I consider the strongest league in its tactical and physical aspect, the Italian one. Playing with great players in clubs like Juventus, Fiorentina, Lecce, but also Manchester City and Parma. But honestly, when I arrived in Lisbon, at the Portuguese championship, I thought it would be much easier, but unfortunately, it wasn't. Football in Portugal is very dynamic, fast, very technical, and it was difficult to adapt. I honestly underestimated the situation and did not face it with respect and dignity. It was really difficult. There are many strong players in Portugal. Today I think it was an honor to play at Sporting for the fans it has. And I bow before them."

Finally, the former Sporting player was asked if he felt pressure at Alvalade and Juventus: "The fans demand it. The winning mentality is always present. Only victory and the three points matter, nothing else. They force you to always be at the top, to be champions, to be winners at all times. It is the history of these clubs and that is why I love this game."

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