Sporting’s coach discusses the team’s confidence after a series of poor games and the detail on the shirt he wore in Monday’s match.
Rui Borges, Sporting’s coach, in statements at the press conference after the thrashing of V. Guimarães (5-1), in the 32nd round of the League:
Hjulmand’s message to the fans.
It was very important, he’s our captain. He’s not with the team, he feels the impossibility of being with the group very much, and this was the way he found to help. Not only for the group, but also for our fans. They weren’t the best in the world, but the last 15 days don’t erase the last eight months. It was very important because he’s our captain.
T-shirt with the word Devotion printed on it…
It’s Sporting’s motto. I only changed the clothes; it’s more my style, more my vibe. Nothing extraordinary, I just liked the sweatshirt because it has Sporting’s motto on it.
Has the team’s confidence grown with the game?
In the first ten minutes, you could see that the team was a little tense. I wouldn’t say nervous, but I would say tense, trying to understand what the game would bring in those first ten minutes. It was important to score from a set piece; from 2-0 onwards, you could see that the team was more comfortable. There were players who improved over time, and then it showed in the collective. We created several opportunities after 2-0, deservedly so, and that’s natural. We were coming off a series of not very successful games, and that ended up affecting everyone’s mindset. We improved, and then we played a good game.
