Fernando Sá: “Very few believed we could reach the final” | OneFootball

Fernando Sá guided FC Porto to the league final and, after the win against Sporting, offered a blunt analysis of a team that alternated between moments of control, correction and resistance. The coach of the blue-and-whites spoke about relaxation, the importance of respecting every moment of the game, and the weight of a journey built against scepticism. Benfica now loom on the horizon, the opponent in a final that will require recovery, training and ambition, as he made clear by saying: “we’re already there”.

In the press room, the atmosphere was one of relief, but not complete satisfaction. Fernando Sá, coach of FC Porto’s basketball team, presented qualification for the final as the reward for a demanding journey, marked by difficulties, and also as the starting point for the ultimate challenge: fighting for the national title against a rival used to this stage.

Asked about the team’s performance in the clash with Sporting, Fernando Sá was direct and pointed to the moment when FC Porto lost emotional and tactical control of the game. The coach rejected excuses and preferred to highlight the drop in discipline that allowed the opponent to gain ground.

“We relaxed a bit when Sporting brought in their rotation players and that cannot happen. We have to respect all players in the same way and the game plans have to be followed,” he said. “Whenever we relaxed and allowed them to shoot comfortably and grab defensive and offensive rebounds quickly, the game changed. It took us a while to react, partly because the change in the scoreline was not immediate, it was gradual.”

These statements reveal the demanding reading of someone who prefers to start by looking inward. More than celebrating the victory, Fernando Sá focused on the details that almost sent the game in a different direction, making it clear that, in a semi-final, talent is not enough without discipline.

The coach then explained the moment when the team truly realized the danger and found its way back onto the right path. It was there, in that response, that he located the decisive turning point of the match and the fairness of Porto’s win.

“The penny dropped when Sporting went ahead and we returned to our game plan, limiting Sporting’s offensive actions and winning more rebounds,” he explained. “We won by a comfortable margin considering the time left in the game and it was a deserved victory for the path we have taken in this play-off.”

The remarks show a team that only recovered once it truly felt the danger. They also underline the idea of accumulated merit, not only because of the final minutes of the semi-final, but because of an entire play-off run which, in the coach’s view, justifies FC Porto’s place in the final.

When the focus widened to the scale of qualification, Fernando Sá combined the quality of the opponent with the difficulties experienced throughout the season. The message carried competitive weight, but also a sense of overcoming adversity.

“We played against an opponent that won two competitions this season, that had an excellent season, and we knew it was going to be extremely difficult, so this win is very important because of all the problems we had during the season and still continue to have. Very few people believed we could reach the final, but here we are,” he stressed. “Benfica are now on four straight titles, they are a team very used to playing finals, with experienced players, and they have been built on solid foundations for many years. We have this week to recover and train so that we can compete and achieve that objective, which is the national title.”

In that conclusion, Fernando Sá summed up, in a single gesture, what has been done and what still remains to be done. He acknowledged the solidity of the next opponent, highlighted how unlikely Porto’s journey had been, and put the final in its proper place: not as a sufficient reward, but as an opportunity to fight for the title until the very end.

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