Former Chiquinho coach warns Sporting: if they make him track back... | OneFootball

Chiquinho continues to gather momentum as a possible Sporting signing for the 2026/27 season, and the person who knows the winger best believes that a move to one of Portuguese football’s big clubs is only natural. Bruno Pinheiro, who worked with the player at Estoril, has no doubts about the Alverca attacker’s ability.

The Portuguese coach, who recently ended his spell with KAS Eupen, recalls that Chiquinho’s talent was already evident several years ago: "Even back then, it was only a matter of time before he reached a big club. Wolverhampton moved first and took him to England midway through the season," said Bruno Pinheiro, recalling the winger’s transfer to the English club.

The former Estoril coach believes the player’s profile fits perfectly with the needs of big teams such as Sporting, especially against opponents who sit deep defensively: "Big clubs always need to score lots of goals, they need players who can make the difference, and Chiquinho is one of those players. It makes sense that he is being sought after by one of the big clubs in Portuguese football. Against very defensive teams, the big clubs need players who can make the difference, and he has that profile," he stressed.

Bruno Pinheiro points to dribbling and one-on-one ability as the main weapons of the winger, who was partly developed at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy: "Chiquinho’s main weapon is one-on-one situations. I particularly remember a match against Porto in which he 'destroyed' Wendel, who was the right-back. He is a player with easy dribbling ability and, on top of that, very strong in contact. Defensively, if the opponent switches off and lets it come to a physical duel, Chiquinho will win the ball," he explained.

Although he acknowledges the player’s competitive commitment, the coach believes the attacker performs best mainly in attacking areas rather than in more demanding defensive duties. "Above all, he stands out in the attacking phase, in one-on-one situations. He is very strong at dribbling," Bruno Pinheiro insisted, before adding: "He is a player who should not be given major defensive duties, because that takes him away from the areas where he is most effective. Chiquinho is committed, but if you make him run back too much, he will wear himself out and drift away from the area where he causes the most imbalance."

The former Qatar under-23 coach nevertheless rejects the idea that the winger is a fragile player without the ball: "I’m not saying he is weak defensively, but rather that playing too deep takes him away from the areas where he has the most impact, which is in the final third," he underlined, leaving one final assurance about the attacker’s profile:

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