Revolution in the squad: “What was done in the market was done 100 percent with the technical team. Through the technical team, the revolution would have been greater. Not that we disagree. There was 100 percent alignment. With the coach we would have gone even further. The departure of these players was not optional. It was yes or yes. We are talking about a range of players with around six years at Sporting, championships won, titles, Cups, appearances in the Champions League, quarters and eighths. I understand the romantic side of those who he is and is a fan, but it is impossible to retain certain players. The players want to leave, they have that desire, they have contracts that are much higher than the ones they have here, with their age and many years with Sporting. I will say that they will stay the same, they won’t. Sporting has created a cycle of players with great potential and we have no doubt about the potential of our young squad. victorious with Ruben Amorim, with Rui Borges and we will have a victorious cycle with Paulo Fonseca.”
Communication by Rui Borges: “I’m sure he’ll continue to have a great career as a coach. I’m sure he won’t find a club that treats him with the transparency and honesty of this club. After the game with Casa Pia I told the coach what happened. Rui Borges is an intelligent and perceptive person. We had two victories, it’s proof that we don’t make decisions based on the results themselves.”
Reasons for Rui Borges’ departure: “It’s curious to see so many questions. I was asked for a year and a half how I kept Rui Borges and now they’re asking why. I gave the answer at the beginning. Rui Borges’ Sporting, regardless of the results, were dominant and superior to their opponents. We had a week where Sporting weren’t and internal management had a bearing on my decision.”
Paulo Fonseca asked to leave Lyon on Thursday: “On Monday I spoke to Paulo Fonseca and launched the challenge to accept the invitation and take over Sporting. Afterwards, the manager did what he had to do internally. In the Casa Pia game, Paulo Fonseca was not closed. If there is one thing I will always do, it is that, regardless of the governing body, Sporting is above. I understood that the conditions for winning the game with Casa Pia was to keep Rui Borges. I was sure that I had a coach who would allow me to have the quality to continue to have the quality it has had in recent years.”
Responsibility of Balconies in Sporting’s situation: “Since 2018 I have been responsible for everything that happened to Sporting. Evaluate what Sporting was like before 2018.”
Disrespect for Rui Borges: “The only people who have treated Rui Borges with respect since 2024 have been us. It’s almost ridiculous to hear from a large part of the press that Rui Borges was treated with a lack of respect. One thing is hurt, another is revolt. I’m sure Rui Borges is sad, but he’s not hurt by the president of Sporting. I never broke my word. The president of Sporting defended him like no one had ever defended.”
What did you ask Paulo Fonseca: “Sporting is nine points behind FC Porto, four behind our other rival. We are talking about a fight between three, three very strong teams. Is the mission easy? It is not, but there are many rounds left. We know the quality of the squad and we have a lot of confidence in the technical and human quality of our technical team.”
Rui Borges rejected training against Shakhtar: “When I informed Rui Borges of this situation, I asked ‘do you want to interrupt this cycle or play the Champions League game’. I wish he had played that game. I believed that I would have won that game and I believed that Rui Borges was going to write another golden page in Sporting’s history: to be singled out as the Sporting coach with the most victories in the Champions League. Sporting has the best Portuguese ranking in Europe and that is the merit of the technical team. The coach did not decline, he said he was not going to stop there and asked a few hours to think. After a few hours, I said no.”
Paulo Fonseca’s risk fallsr: “It’s not easy with this direction for coaches to fall and Rui Borges is the best example. Gone are the days when coaches fall due to pressure and the time when management falls due to coaches? I don’t even remember. My mission is to manage Sporting, these gentlemen’s is to coach Sporting. I would be surprised if I didn’t have Paulo Fonseca until the end of the mandate.”
