Varandas lays into Sporting squad: we want players who want to win | OneFootball

Frederico Varandas strongly criticized Sporting’s attitude in the defeat to Torreense in the Portuguese Cup final. The Sporting president spoke at the Estádio Universitário and admitted that the team in green and white failed because of the way they approached the decisive match at Jamor.

“We lost through our own inability. We didn’t compete and we showed no attitude. We want players who want to play in the Champions League and in World Cups, but also players who want to win trophies with their club,” said Frederico Varandas, sending a clear message to the squad led by Rui Borges.

Despite the disappointment caused by the defeat against Torreense, the Sporting president gave an overall assessment of the season and said that Sporting met the “minimum objectives” set for 2025/26, highlighting above all qualification for the next edition of the Champions League.

“The season has to be assessed in two phases: from the start of the league campaign to Sunday’s final, and then Sunday’s final itself. As for the first phase, Sporting had a very positive season. They reached every decisive stage. They did not achieve the main objective, which was to become champions. They finished second with 82 points, the same total with which they were champions in 2024/25,” he began by explaining.

Varandas also highlighted the Lions’ European campaign. “They had the best European run in the club’s history. They played great matches against the finalists of the competition. They deservedly qualified for the Cup final. Sporting ended up reaching every decisive stage,” he stressed.

Even so, the president acknowledged the weight of not winning any titles in the final assessment of the season. “Unlike last season, we reached the decisive moments and didn’t win any trophies. The minimum objective was achieved, although from the fans’ point of view there is the absence of silverware,” he admitted.

Frederico Varandas then reinforced the strategic importance of second place for the club’s financial and competitive future. “For the board, second place is a hugely important objective, because it allows Sporting to continue in the Champions League. It is that participation that gives Sporting the financial capacity to keep growing the club and to continue having the tools to compete in decisive moments and win titles. Until 2018, we were a Europa League club, and now we are a Champions League club. We achieved the minimum objectives,” he concluded.

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