Sporting have a back-up plan if they miss direct Champions entry | OneFootball

Rui Borges remains fully focused on the Portuguese Cup final against Torreense, but the truth is that in Alvalade they are already doing the math for the start of next season. This is because Sporting have two different plans ready for the start of pre-season preparations for 2026/27.

In fact, everything depends on the outcome of the Premier League. Aston Villa’s victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final opened an important door for Sporting toward direct entry into the UEFA Champions League league phase.

The team coached by Unai Emery currently sits fourth in the English league and holds a three-point advantage over Liverpool. So the equation is simple: Aston Villa just need to get a result against Manchester City to secure the Lions’ direct qualification for the Champions League.

Even in the event of defeat, Sporting could still benefit if Liverpool fail to beat Brentford. Only one scenario would push the green-and-whites into the qualifying rounds: an Aston Villa defeat combined with a win for the Reds.

If they have to play in the third qualifying round and the play-off, Sporting are expected to bring forward the start of pre-season by around a week. The aim will be to prepare for four extra crucial matches to reach the Champions League league phase.

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