Mea culpa, Mourinho and the World Cup: Rui Borges on Sporting v Gil Vicente | OneFootball

Previewing the clash with Gil Vicente, Rui Borges spoke about the push for second place in the Liga Portugal Betclic, focusing on the battle with Benfica and José Mourinho’s comments. The Lions’ coach also addressed the transfer market, offered a mea culpa regarding the three-peat, and spoke about the 2026 World Cup.

"Above all, let me praise tomorrow’s full house. It’s a sign that the fans are with us and want to give us that extra strength. And tomorrow that will be very important to beat Gil. They are a good team, having an excellent season, and they are in the fight for the European competitions. That says a lot about how difficult the game will be. A very well-organized team, with a very cohesive mid-to-high block and good pressing triggers. It’s a team that gives little away to opponents, very strong from attacking set pieces. And that says a lot about tomorrow’s difficulties. That’s why I started by saying it’s important to have a full stadium, so the group can feel that positive energy. It has been a very intense end to the season and we need that to help us."

Is Mourinho trying to influence the refereeing?

"The coach must be as devoted as I am, in the week of Our Lady of Fátima... Above all, I want to finish 2nd and I have to be good enough, me and the team, to overcome a side that is having a great season. It will be a competitive, intense game that will demand our best."

Transfer market and departures

"As for the market, I’m not going to comment because we already had two squads for next season. We have to be focused on tomorrow’s game, which could secure a place in the Champions League. That has to be the only focus. Farewells... It’s normal that there will be one for Morita because everyone knows his contract is ending, and it will be the farewell of a player who has marked Sporting’s history, as well as mine personally. And for Quenda, who will return to Chelsea. He is a kid, a more mature player, but both have given a lot to Sporting. They have earned the right to say goodbye properly, to be warmly applauded. They have earned that respect through their character, personality and individual quality. But, above all, through everything they have always given for Sporting. Those are the only two I can speak about."

Response to José Mourinho

"You’ll have to ask him. I’m focused on being competent. I know I wasn’t in some games and I wasn’t champion because of that. It has a lot to do with the solutions I can find for my team to make myself better. I’m focused on that, on getting better and more competent every day to become champion, which is my goal. We didn’t manage it because at some moments we weren’t as competent as we wanted to be."

Transfer market

"As for the market, it’s what happens every year. Some leave and others come in. I’m very focused on tomorrow’s game because it means a lot. Even though we didn’t achieve the big objective we wanted, now we want to finish 2nd so we can be in the Champions League. Players will leave, players will come in, like at any team in the world and in any season. And we have that clearly identified. It changes nothing. The only thing that stings is the fact that we weren’t able to become champions. And next season we want to be better. We very much want to win the Cup, which is still our trophy, and we really want to keep it. I’m more concerned with what we were and weren’t able to do at certain moments."

Last year’s game

"Gil Vicente’s intent has been clear throughout the season. Credit to the players and the coach. Tomorrow they will still be the Gil they have been. They like to have the ball, they have a well-defined process, they are very strong one-on-one and out wide. They are also among the most effective from crosses and have several goals from outside the box. They are having a great season and I believe we will see a very strong Gil Vicente tomorrow, also because they will do everything to achieve their objective of reaching the European competitions. We know how difficult it will be, which is why I said it is important for Alvalade to be full. The energy last year was good for us to win in the final minutes, but this week we analyzed this season’s match."

Injury update and dropped points

"I would have to think carefully and analyze it in the best way; I can’t do that in a minute... We can always be better, in any game. We didn’t drop points in just one game, so it could have been better in any game I didn’t win. If we didn’t win, it’s because we weren’t good enough and we have to do our work and analyze it in the best way, growing as coaches and as a team. That is the focus. Vagiannidis is doubtful for tomorrow, that’s the only thing I can say. Zeno is out, Morten has started doing work on the pitch, and that’s it..."

What defines this game

"I don’t look at what remains to be played from that perspective. They are two important games and they still decide a lot, but we have to have that responsibility and awareness. The difference between playing in the Champions League or the Europa League, and the fact that we can still win a trophy that we won last year. More than thinking about whether it defines the season... I’ve already said it wasn’t those 15 days that defined what the players did this season. And I can’t say that, because of one game, they didn’t have a good season. They were competent; I’m the one who has to help better. They always want the best. Sometimes they won’t manage it, and I will always stand up and take responsibility. That’s not what will define a good or bad season; I don’t see things from that perspective."

Mea culpa

"I say that because I’m demanding of myself. I always want to win, and I didn’t manage it. That means I have to be more competent. Me and my coaching staff. I’ve already said that I will always stand up for my team because they give everything, they are an extraordinary group. When things don’t go so well, it’s because I had to help better in some way, be more decisive. And that is part of a coach’s growth. Hopefully there will be a year when we win all the time, but that is difficult. It has to do with daily standards and growth as a coach."

Key points for the game

"Gil are an extremely strong team in a mid-block. If they’re not the best in the league, they’re among the best. Very competent, cohesive, they give little space, competitive... They have their pressing timings very well defined and I identify that because I see myself in some things. At Sporting... collective and individual quality. Any team knows that if they give this team space, it will be difficult to stop our quality. Gil may have that ability because they are very competent, and with the ball they also have a well-defined process. Crossing, attacking set pieces, one-on-ones out wide... They know that Sporting sometimes leaves itself exposed and there is some space. I don’t think that is anything that can’t be seen every week and identified."

Pizzi and the World Cup

"Yes, I do have [a word for Pizzi]. Above all, he is a friend, someone who had a fantastic and wonderful career. He left his mark on Portuguese football, on our national team, on my district. He’s from Trás-os-Montes, humble. I’m a very good friend of his. He was just a kid, I was a little more mature, but we always remained friends. And there was always a lot of respect, even when he was at the top. And I like that. He was always the same person and that has a lot to do with me too. Maybe that’s why we’re still friends to this day. I wish him a future as bright as his past. A big hug to him and I wish him all the luck in the world. Call-up? We would all make a different squad list; no one here would make the same one. Mine always deserve it, they are always the best... I’m not going to go into that perspective of making call-ups or not and [choosing] players for the squad. I know that those who have been called up [from Sporting] have had a great season and I believe they will continue to be part of it."

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