Sporting chief on possible Porto cup clash: We have a duty... | OneFootball

Bernardo Palmeiro focused attention on Sporting's immediate challenge in the Portuguese Cup, highlighting the difficulty of the match against AVS in the quarter-finals and avoiding projecting future scenarios, despite the possibility of a classic against Porto in the semi-finals.

"I would like to start by congratulating Fafe and Torreense. It is proof that professional football and the projects of professional SADs in Portugal are growing. We are increasingly seeing the gap between divisions narrowing," began the sporting director of the lions, in statements to Canal 11.

"There are no easy games, especially not in the Portuguese Cup. We are focused on the game with AVS and it's difficult to talk about what we will face afterwards. They are a team from our league and we have a tight schedule. If we are fortunate enough to advance, we will face Porto, who eliminated Benfica and are in good form. We are the title holders and have the obligation to aspire to win it again," emphasized Bernardo Palmeiro.

Furthermore, the sporting director of Sporting also reinforced respect for the opponents and recalled the demanding context of the season: "A draw is a draw. In two knockout rounds, we would always face difficulties. We are in several competitions and have had injury problems. The paths that Fafe and Torreense have taken deserve all the respect. They are teams that come with a lot of ambition."

Sporting will return to the field on Friday, January 16, against Casa Pia. The match, part of the 18th round of Liga Portugal Betclic, against the team led by Álvaro Pacheco, will be played at 20:15, in Alvalade.

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