Jota Silva recalls Sporting clash: It ended in the worst possible way... | OneFootball

Jota Silva was very close to returning to Portugal last summer to strengthen Sporting, but the deal ultimately fell through by just one minute. In statements to The Athletic, the Portuguese international – who ended up moving to Turkey to play for Besiktas – spoke about that moment, acknowledging that returning to his home country was “a good option” and admitting that it was “very tough” to realize that the transfer to Alvalade failed by such a small margin.

“I spoke with Nuno [Espírito Santo] and he helped me. It was never about the club or the place. Forest signed some players for my position and I think he knows me well... I like to play, I like to feel important, to contribute. I had the opportunity to return to my country, to fight for titles. It was a good option,” he began by saying.

“Several times it felt like it was practically done. But things kept changing from day to day. It ended in the worst way possible. Losing a transfer by one minute is very tough. Now I have no problems with Forest or with Sporting… but I won’t lie. It was difficult,” Jota Silva emphasized.

“When I got the call saying the paperwork hadn’t gone through in time… my world went ‘boom’. But the next day, I woke up at 8 a.m. and went to train. My teammates helped me. I stayed quiet and didn’t speak because at that moment, when you speak with emotion, you might say things you’ll regret,” he concluded.

It should be recalled that after the failed agreement with Botafogo, Sporting – which has a verbal agreement with the club – made a proposal of €4.5M for the loan, with an option to buy for €15.5M, accepted by Nottingham Forest after 11:00 p.m. The exchange of documentation continued until around 11:45 p.m. and, although the club sent the papers to the League, the clock already read 12:01 a.m., which led to the registration being rejected and the collapse of a transfer that was already recorded in FIFA’s records.

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