Injuries, title hopes over and a beer: Rui Borges before Sporting - Tondela | OneFootball

At the press conference previewing the game against Tondela, a postponed match from the 26th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, Rui Borges spoke about the "explicit" farewell to the title race, the wave of injuries that has plagued the Sporting squad this season, the winter transfer window and also his contract renewal. Check out everything he said.

How the team is feeling emotionally

"That is the most important part. Getting everyone focused on the game, against a team that needs points. With the new coach they have been much bolder, pressing more and exposing themselves more, which is also something to highlight. So each side has its own goals, and we also need the points. Tondela will give everything for the points, but so will we because we need them. I think the lads are ready to try to win this game".

Decisions against AVS

"I like to talk about everything related to the game. Today the fan says to put Manel in, I put Manel in and the fan says I should have played António. A fan is a fan: at home, with a beer and a ham-and-cheese sandwich, everything is fine... What I can say is that other options were impossible. There were players who were not able to contribute for more than 60 or 70 minutes. The options had to be those. But that is not why we didn’t win the game, we didn’t win because we didn’t score. The team is very worn out and could not give any more, but even so we could have won the game, because we did more than enough for that".

Mental fatigue

"Mental fatigue makes the physical side worse. Of course, when we could have made even more history, it affected us a bit. Then in the game against Benfica, our goal is ruled out and we concede right after. There are several emotional blows that hit us and always affect us. The demands of those matches, mentally, were absurd. No matter how much we say otherwise, all of that affects us. Then the game against FC Porto right after... It was a run of four games with no break in between. It was a spell with tremendous demands and wear and tear".

Best timing for a renewal

"I don’t know, because I don’t pay any attention to that. I’m happy, I’m at a great club. Unfortunately, in these last few weeks they have taken us out of the fight for a third straight title. That is explicit... FC Porto has been up there the whole time and is one win away. But we were always in the fight and I feel a lot of confidence. I will never place the blame for anything on the players, and they deserve all my support".

Injuries

"Normal, it’s not, of course. But there are things we cannot control. If there were a lot of muscle injuries, then we would have to rethink what we are doing. But there are things we cannot control and it is normal to pay the price for so many injuries, for not having the players available. There were some moments, with the League Cup and the Cup, when it was possible, but in decisive moments it was not. We lost Fotis, Pote was also out. It’s not normal, but we cannot manage traumatic injuries. [There were muscle injuries too] Yes, but every club has those and probably even fewer than at other clubs. As for traumatic injuries, we had many and that affected us a lot. I’m not going to stand here acting crazy and saying I’m the best and that it didn’t happen. But what I can say is that the lads gave everything".

The winter market failed

"I’m not going to talk about the green cloak. About the other part, I could not have guessed there would be so many injuries in a squad of 29 players. We brought in Luís Guilherme and he got injured straight away. Faye took a little while to adapt. Meanwhile Quenda also came back... Unless you want us to have a squad of 50 players, and maybe that will be needed because there are more and more injuries and the overload players are subjected to is surreal. Our job is to hope we do not have any more injuries that we cannot control, given that the only ones we can control are the muscle injuries".

Injury report

"Vagiannidis, Bragança and Diomande are doubts. Nuno Santos returned to training with the team in the last session before AVS and we chose not to play him. He is in the squad for tomorrow".

Winter signings

"We already had a balanced squad in every position. We knew we could lose Alisson, we lost one and added two, but more with a view to the future. Matheus Reis had the right to choose his future. Then we were unlucky with so many traumatic injuries. They know they are at a demanding club and I talk to them a lot, but they know there is a risk of injury. The team needs them. I’ll even give Dani as an example: at the Dragão, he should not even have come on. But it deserves praise because he said he wanted to be with the team. He won me over in five seconds because of what that feeling toward the team meant. Now he knows that if he gets injured again, he won’t play anymore this season. There has to be honesty and the ability to say when you can or cannot do it. The best doctor is the player himself. They must say whether they can be with the team and I expect that respect from them".

The message he gives the team

"Optimism and a lot of confidence. I am always very optimistic. They know very well what they represent. The responsibility of representing Sporting, but they know they are not going to win. Within that, we have to show the desire to keep winning. Although it is normal for everything that happened to hit hard. But what happened does not stop them from being a great group. I always want to win, but it is not always possible. Now all that remains is to give everything and wait to see what happens in the end".

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