Reply to Farioli, new deal, tired side: Rui Borges after Porto-Sporting | OneFootball

After Sporting’s draw with Porto (0-0), which secured the Lions’ place in the Portuguese Cup final, Rui Borges spoke to journalists at the post-match press conference, where he analyzed the performance. The coach was asked about a contract renewal, the injuries during the match, and Francesco Farioli’s ‘complaints’. See everything he said.

“That reflects the strength, friendship, and family spirit of this group. That’s what it’s all about. It’s been a season in which we’ve had some bad luck with injuries, which has affected us to some extent, especially in this final stretch, given the demands of the matches we’ve been playing. Even so, the team gave a fantastic response. A good first half from us, better than Porto. And a second half better from Porto than from Sporting. We knew how to suffer at certain moments in the defensive phase, always very well organized, cohesive, competitive, with a lot of teamwork and communication. And we defended well in the second half, after a first half in which we controlled the game with the ball and I think we ended up being better. It was a great save from Rui, but before that there was a great save from Diogo Costa. So they are two great goalkeepers”

Loses Gonçalo Inácio and Morten Hjulmand

“They are hugely important players, two leaders on and off the pitch. Two important players in the dynamic they give the team, players who make their presence felt on the field, each in his own way. But, I’ll say it again, the guys who play, the guys who come on... We’ve already won with everyone and we’ve already won without everyone, so to speak. Because we’ve already played without Morten, we’ve already played without Inácio, we’ve already played without Luís [Suárez], and we still won, with more or less difficulty. You lose some things, you gain others. That’s football. That’s why I always say I never complain, because they will deliver and they will do it. And they really believe in each other; there are no egos. Here everyone respects everyone and everyone recognizes everyone’s value, and that is this group’s strength. It’s the respect and friendship they have for one another and, above all, the recognition of each other’s quality. That’s why the team has shown that maturity throughout the whole season. And that makes me happy because, I’ll say it again, it clearly shows the strength of this group and, for some reason, they are national champions”

Is Jamor a lifeline? Renewal?

“I’m under contract until 2027. I’m very happy at Sporting. The recognition and trust have been there since day one. I understand your side, but that goes completely over my head. I’m very happy at Sporting, I’ll continue to be happy at Sporting, so I’m very calm in that regard. I’ve already said that the Cup was not any kind of lifeline. I guide myself by the stature of the club I represent and by how happy I am to represent it. And I focus a lot on my work. The first objective of a big club is to be present in the final stages of trophy contests. The league is more difficult now, but we are still in it mathematically. It’s possible, and I never give up. We’ll keep fighting within what is possible. We’re in that final battle. In the Cup, we’re in the final. We had a great Champions League campaign. The only regret is the League Cup semi-final, also with all the setbacks we had up to that point in terms of injuries. Trophies are not what will define the quality of the process. The process is very good and that is recognized daily by everyone. Of course we want to add trophies too; big clubs want to win. But the first objective is to be there. So it’s not about salvation, it’s about an objective: being in a final where the trophy is ours. As things stand, it is still ours and we very much want to keep it. So we achieved a first objective, being in the final, and we still have one more match ahead of us”

Has the hardest part been done? Arrival at the Dragão?

“Honestly, I didn’t even notice it, nor am I going to focus on that, on what happened there. As for the first part of the question: I don’t know who it will be, but regardless of that, I have enormous respect, because I’ve been on the other side, I know where I came from, I’ll say it again, and how much I dreamed of playing in a Portuguese Cup final, and how much teams from lower divisions rise to the occasion against Primeira Liga teams, especially big teams. I know very well the difficulties we are going to face. I remember well that the first game we had this year we won in extra time against Paços de Ferreira, which is a Liga 2 team fighting to stay up. So I know very well the difficulties. It’s a Cup final match, where there will be two teams that deserve to be there, and it will be contested. And I have absolutely no doubt that it will be very well contested by both teams”

Tension and Rui Silva’s stoppages

“It had to do with Rui Silva, who finished the game with physical problems. As simple as that. As for the bench, the tension is natural. They are two big teams fighting for a place in the final. The crowd playing at home. It’s natural for there to be tension, for there to be this intensity on both sides. So I think these are natural things in the game, as long as they do not go beyond the bounds of what is reasonable, let’s say”

Substitutions and player exhaustion

“I wanted to win. And the first half showed that. Now, naturally, we dropped off a little physically in the second half. Regarding the substitutions, we were a bit stuck there as well because of the two stoppages we were forced to make... I say forced, not mandatory, but yes, forced because of some injuries, unfortunately, to Inácio and Morten. I only had one more stoppage left for three substitutions. Luís was exhausted, Trincão was exhausted, Maxi was exhausted, Quaresma was exhausted, and I could only put in three. So I spoke with Luís and he said he would go to the end, and he did. And very well: he fought like no one else as well for the team, for the group, and gave everything on the pitch”

Quenda back in the starting eleven

“Honestly, I think he even surprised us. He was at a very good level, played a good game, a really great game with and without the ball. We had actually expected him to play fewer minutes, but his energy was still quite reasonable and good, so we kept him on for a few more minutes. He was even above expectations”

Farioli says Sporting wasted time

“Was it on Porto Canal? Those are opinions. I have nothing to say, I only said it was a good first half from Sporting on the ball, a better second half from Porto on the ball, and a very competitive game. As for the time, maybe he forgot about the balls and the towels”

Another semi-final

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