Trincão on Sporting's 'issues' arriving at the Dragão: When I got there... | OneFootball

Francisco Trincão said he was pleased with Sporting’s qualification for the Portuguese Cup final, after the draw against Porto at the Estádio do Dragão, analysing a demanding match marked by several incidents, on and off the pitch.

Regarding the incidents upon arrival at the stadium, the Portuguese international preferred not to go into detail: "I didn’t really understand what happened. By the time I arrived, something had already happened. I’m not exactly sure what it was. Other people will have to answer for that afterwards. But I don’t think it’s up to me to talk about it," he said.

As for the match, he highlighted its difficulty and the team’s ability to manage it: "Yes, it was a difficult game. We knew it was going to be difficult. But I think we held up really well. We had the advantage and played a little with that in mind. But above all, we’re happy to have reached the final. And now we have to focus on what’s left for the rest of the season."

After a few complicated days, Francisco Trincão praised the group’s response: "We always have to fight for everything. We’re at Sporting and we’re happy to be in the final. Now we have to play it," he said, before dismissing signs of fatigue: "I don’t feel like we’re exhausted. The coach gives everyone a chance. Everyone gets minutes, everyone is prepared. We know it’s a long season, but everyone is ready to do their best and help the club."

Asked about the reaction after the derby defeat, he was pragmatic: "Now we just have to do our best until the end. The final reckoning comes at the end. We know it’s difficult, but we’re happy to have reached the final. And now it’s time to rest. If we achieve our objective, it was a good response."

The winger also highlighted the team’s ability to suffer: "We faced a great team, and it’s not easy to play against them either. It was a difficult game but, above all, we’re happy to have reached the final. For the group, for the fans, for the coach, the staff, everyone, we deserved the trip to Jamor. It’s been a difficult and long season. There’s still a bit to go, but we’re happy to have achieved that objective. We live for this. We want to be in every competition and fight until the end. I’m happy to be able to compete for everything. Of course I wanted to win everything, but we couldn’t. That’s part of football, and now it’s about playing a final."

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