Sporting Clube de Club focus

Sporting’s chance WORDS: Tom Kundert Under coach Jesus ust three years ago, the status of Sporting Clube de Portugal, which Jorge and dynamic had once proudly competed toe-to-toe with Europe’s finest, president Bruno Jwas at an all-time low. De Carvalho, Sporting As and Benfica swept up the domestic honours, the standing are once again a and credibility of Sporting was being major force in Portuguese football

56 World Soccer Club Focus

Green machine…Islam Slimani (centre) takes the acclaim after scoring against rivals Porto

World Soccer 57 Sporting Clube de Portugal

Support…Sporting fans ahead of the big clash with Benfica

visibly whittled away. a one-man war against football investment slogan, the fan base has been re- Sporting were simply unable to funds and agents. Needless to say, energised, the club’s talented young compete with their more powerful rivals. Carvalho has collected numerous and Triumph…keeper Rui players are no longer wooed away at The team plunged to an unthinkable deep-seated enemies along the way. Patricio parades the cut-price fees by unscrupulous agents, seventh-place finish in 2012-13 and years But there is no doubt he has Portuguese Cup to financial stability has been restored and, delirious fans after of boardroom mismanagement had put transformed the club, both on and off the last season’s Final most important of all, Sporting are right the financial viability of the entire pitch. Under the onda verde (“green tide”) win over Braga back in the mix for trophies. institution at risk. The sensational appointment of Jorge Then, on March 23, 2013 Bruno De Jesus, the most successful coach in Carvalho was elected as the club’s new Portugal for the past decade, snatched president. It is impossible to disassociate from cross-town rivals Benfica, exemplified a sea change at Sporting with the arrival Carvalho’s audacity in his quest to take of Carvalho at the helm. Sporting back to the top. He immediately set about attacking An ex-Sporting player, as was his father, every individual and entity he perceived Jesus has strong emotional ties to the as preventing Sporting from recapturing club. A short film shown on the giant its past glories. And he hasn’t stopped screens at the stadium on the day he since. His fiercely confrontational methods was presented, with footage of his father’s are not pretty. One tirade against Porto playing days, almost reduced him to president Pinto Da Costa insinuated he tears. “I can promise you that, from now was going senile; accusations of Benfica onwards, Sporting will be competing for all bribing match officials have been the major honours in Portugal,” he said. commonplace; and he has instigated The apparent match made in heaven

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has served to further galvanise the The “eternal derby”…Sporting versus Benfica supporters and bring real belief that something special is happening at the club. That enthusiasm only grew as Sporting began the season at a canter, beating arch-rivals Benfica three times and seeing off Porto to spend the vast majority of the campaign at the table summit. However, Benfica have since come back strongly, setting up a thrilling season finale. Whether it will end in triumph for the green half of Lisbon only time will tell. , , But there is an inescapable feeling that Pereira, Jose Travassos and goalscorer Carvalho will not stop his Sporting crusade extraordinaire changed until something gives. the history of Sporting and the face of Will his frenzied attempts to guarantee Portuguese football, their relentless the pre-eminence of his club blow up in attacking and telepathic combination smoke? Or are we about to witness a play making the Lions an irresistible force. Peyroteo’s statistics especially make for “I can promise you that, from now on, eye-watering reading, as he scored a barely believable 543 goals in 334 games Sporting will be competing for all the during his career. major honours in Portugal” From the moment Peyroteo, the first , on his appointment as coach “violinist”, made his debut to the time the last of the magnificent five, Travassos, hung definitive shift in the power structure up his boots, the Green and Whites won 10 of Portuguese football? championships and five Portuguese Cups. It would not be the first time it has Playing together, the five did not lose a happened. A brief overview of the history single game against Benfica, lost only once of Portuguese football reveals three to Porto and were unbeaten at home. The epochs of hegemony, one for each of the club’s annual pre-season tournament is country’s traditional “”. named the Cinco Violinos in homage to Sporting were the first of the triumvirate the mythical fivesome. to achieve a sustained period of absolute The glory years for Sporting ended dominance, the Alvalade club ruling when a Eusebio-inspired Benfica wrested supreme in the 1940s and 1950s, the reins of power from their neighbours particularly in the years straddling the two in the 1960s and 1970s, before Porto, decades, when they lifted the Portuguese under the trophy-laden, controversial and championship seven times in eight ongoing presidency of Da Costa exerted seasons, fired by the legendary quintet their stranglehold on the domestic game. of attacking players known as the cinco Porto’s three-decade long empire of violinos (‘five violins”). ascendency is in apparent decline as age

1 n sporting 1934-2016 League champions European Cup- benfica 34 16 winners Cup porto 27

sporting 18 8

boavista 1

belenenses 1 Portuguese Portuguese Cup Super Cup Position

(*as of15.03.16) World Soccer 59 Sporting Clube de Portugal

Great expectations… shows early signs of his talent against Maritimo in 2002

starts to catch up with Da Costa, paving And the conveyor belt of outstanding the way for a fascinating three-way tussle talent flowing from the club’s for supremacy. The conveyor belt of talent flowing academy, east of Lisbon on the other side Since 1970 Sporting have lifted the title from the club’s Alcohete academy of the River Tejo, shows no signs of slowing only five times, which shows the enormity shows no signs of slowing down down. Sporting’s success this season is of the mission Carvalho has tasked himself built around the home-grown midfield trio with in bringing a sustained period of of Adrien, and Joao success to the Alvalade. grace the game, particularly when it Mario. It is not uncommon, even for the Not that the intervening years have comes to wingers. , Luis Figo newly competitive Sporting, to line up with been all doom and gloom. While collective and Cristiano Ronaldo are just three five players who came through the ranks. triumphs were few and far between, examples of footballers nurtured through What differs is that in the past the club’s Sporting earned worldwide acclaim for the club’s ranks who went on to achieve precociously talented prospects were sold producing some of the greatest talents to global stardom. too quickly and at too young an age to

the power curve The key figures at Sporting

Bruno de Carvalho Jorge Jesus Octavio Machado Augusto Inacio Hard-headed, brazen and lashing Another prickly and fiercely The club captain’s calm, Straight-talking ex- Public relations manager out at all perceived obstacles to ambitious individual, the coach albeit determined, Portugal international and and ex-Sporting coach Sporting’s success, the president vowed upon his appointment in demeanour in interviews former Porto and Sporting who led the club to the has collected bitter enemies in his the summer that “from now on contrasts sharply on the coach, the general manager 2000 title after an 18- three years at the helm, but his there will be three serious pitch where that calmness happily toes the party line, year barren spell. He unflinching focus on bringing back contenders for the championship is nowhere to be seen. A with public tirades common has now settled his the glory days of yesteryear has in Portugal”. He is making good vigorous competitor always the minute he believes previous differences galvanised the club. on his promise. in the heat of the battle. they get unfair treatment. with Jorge Jesus.

60 World Soccer Club Focus the stadium

Home...Estadio Jose Alvalade

ne of Portugal’s newly-built towards global stardom. stadia for Euro 2004, the Aesthetics play a big part in the inauguration of the 50,000- Alvalade, with a mosaic multi-coloured capacity Estadio Jose Alvalade design running through the whole Waiting game…fans gather on the Alvalade steps Oproved a famous occasion. On 6 August complex, inside and out, save for the 2003, Sporting beat Manchester United deep green undulating roof supported at cinema complex, making it a hive of 3-1 in a pre-season friendly and an each of the four corners by cables activity not only on match days. 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo put in a streaming down from massive metal The daring colour scheme is in performance punctuated with moments of pillars piercing far into the sky. marked contrast to the staid all-red tones such mesmerising brilliance that it would The facility as a whole is much more of Benfica’s Estadio da Luz, just four persuade Alex Ferguson to take the than a football stadium, incorporating a Safety measure…a kilometres down the road. That the two sunken walkway Portuguese magician back with him to Old multi-sports pavilion, swimming pool, helps keep fans stadium designs are so jarringly different Trafford where he would begin his ascent health club, clinic, shopping centre and away from the pitch is apt for two clubs who have spent a large chunk of Portuguese football history ferociously vying with each other for supremacy. It is not by chance that the Sporting-Benfica clash is known as the “eternal derby” in Portugal. That rivalry has only intensified this season following the “defection” of coach Jorge Jesus from the red half to the green half of the city, with Sporting’s contract rebel Andre Carrillo going in the opposite direction, and the two teams evenly matched in a thrilling title race.

Lisbon landmark…the stadium holds 52,000

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bring either sporting success or Threat...Islam Slimani years ago, Sporting turned down six bids mix of fierce ambition, confidence and meaningful financial gain. In contrast, the of up to €24million for the Algerian in the sense of entitlement coursing through the new regime has striven to protect their January transfer window. club’s playing staff, supporters and young pearls by routinely inserting buyout Significantly, and in contrast to a hierarchy, there is every chance Sporting’s clauses of upwards of €45million in the succession of players of the recent past woeful start to the new millennium will be contracts of their biggest assets, while wanting away for their big pay day, Slimani followed by something very different. complementing the local talent with is in no rush to leave Sporting. “Jorge Jesus A good example of the club’s newfound experienced, proven and – by Sporting’s is a world-class coach – and I’m not self-esteem is the “NOT Sporting Lisbon” standards – costly reinforcements. Creative...Joao Mario exaggerating,” the burly striker recently campaign, instigated on the social But the contribution to the current said. “Tactically he’s networks and endorsed by the club. In the vibrancy made by Jorge Jesus cannot be a genius. It’s an not-too-distant past Sporting would have underestimated. As at Benfica, the coach absolute pleasure to been grateful for any mention in the has his team playing cohesive and work with him. He international press, even if erroneously easy-on-the-eye attacking football, while makes us progress referred to as “Sporting Lisbon”. Not so on an individual basis several players are every day. It was the nowadays. The club has embraced the performing at levels few believed they best decision of my fight to have its name correctly reported, were capable of attaining. career to sign for which inherently emphasises its national Striker Islam Slimani is a case in point. Sporting.” dimension: Sporting Clube de Portugal. Bought for €300,000 less than three With the potent • Bruno De Carvalho interview, page 64 the Coach the Kit

Jorge Jesus before finally arriving Age 61 (24.07.54) at Benfica. There, he The swagger, energy won the title three and no little success times in six seasons he installs in teams (Benfica had won just goes some way to one in the previous 15 explaining the huge years) and reached dollops of arrogance two European finals, that typify each media playing a breathless conference and brand of relentlessly interview with this attacking football. charismatic coach. So it shook the Convinced he is domestic game to the “the best in the world”, core when he walked Jesus made it to the out on the Eagles for top of the Portuguese local rivals Sporting game the hard way, last summer. Early collecting 12 clubs on signs are that he took his managerial CV his magic with him. Home kit Second kit third kit

62 World Soccer Club Focus the squad

26 1 13 47 5

Azbe Jug (Sln) Rui Patricio Sebastian Coates (Uru) Ricardo Esgaio Ewerton (Bra) Age 24 (03.03.92) Age 28 (15.02.88) Age 25 (07.10.90) Age 22 (16.05.93) Age 27 (23.03.89) Became back-up to Rui A superb shot-stopper and Ex Liverpool and Sunderland Home-grown talent who can Beanpole central defender Patricio after Marcelo psychologically resilient, he central defender, and, at 6ft play in either full-back position who counts Russian side Anzhi lkeepers

a Boeck was sold during the has been Portugal’s first 4in, the tallest outfield player or as a right-sided among his former clubs. Has D efenders

Go winter transfer window. choice for several years. in Portugal’s top flight. or winger. struggled with injuries since signing for Sporting.

4 21 44 15 35

Jefferson (Bra) Joao Pereira Naldo (Bra) Paulo Oliveira Ruben Semedo Age 27 (05.07.88) Age 32 (25.02.84) Age 27 (28.08.88) Age 25 (08.01.91) Age 21 (04.04.94) Left-back who likes to bomb Experienced right-back who Well-travelled centre-back Solid centre-back who was the Fast and physical centre-back forward and deliver pinpoint returned to Sporting after who was expected to be a boss of the back four until who can also play in central crosses into the opposition being frozen out at Valencia. back-up but has seen plenty of injury stymied his progress midfield. A big talent but box. Better attacking than Struggled initially but has playing time and let nobody after Christmas. Has been struggles to keep his discipline. defending. improved over the season. down with his solid displays. linked to Manchester United.

31 23 28 6 11

Marvin Zeegelaar (Hol) Adrien Silva Andre Martins Alberto Aquilani (Ita) Bruno Cesar (Bra) Age 25 (12.08.90) Age 27 (15.03.89) Age 26 (21.01.90) Age 31 (07.07.84) Age 27 (03.11.88) Snapped up by Sporting in French-born captain who has Diminutive creator who has Full of experience but his Former Benfica man who January after impressing for been at the club since he was struggled for playing time this appearances have been limited has revived a career that Rio Ave, the robust full-back 12 and has finally realised his season. in Sporting’s strongest sector. threatened to fade away in the has settled in well. full potential. Middle East. Reunited with coach Jorge Jesus at Sporting.

30 17 14 29 36

Bruno Paulista (Bra) Joao Mario William Carvalho Hernan Barcos (Arg) Carlos Mane Age 20 (21.08.95) Age 23 (19.01.93) Age 23 (07.04.92) Age 31 (11.04.84) Age 22 (11.03.94)

Bought for a sizeable fee Cultured, elegant and creative Powerhouse defensive rds Snapped up in the January Gifted and quick, he has not a last summer, the combative midfielder who possesses midfielder who has had half transfer window to boost developed as expected after Brazilian is seen as a wonderful technique. of Europe chasing him but Sporting’s somewhat scarce making his debut two years long-term project. Sparsely has struggled of late. forw striking options. ago, but is still a useful weapon used in the first team. to have on the bench.

60 19 73 20 9

Gelson Martins Teo Gutierrez (Col) Matheus Pereira (Bra) Bryan Ruiz (CR) Islam Slimani (Alg) Age 20 (11.05.95) Age 30 (17.05.85) Age 19 (05.05.96) Age 30 (18.08.85) Age 27 (18.06.88) Electrifying winger who No doubting his ability, but a An exciting winger who has a The former Fulham man has Powerful and strong in the air. is a handful for opposition questionable attitude means fine left foot and has notched exceeded expectations and is a he has improved year on year defenders thanks to his the local jury is still out. several goals despite limited key cog in Sporting’s attacking since signing in 2013. Sporting dribbling and darting runs. first-team opportunities. play with the skill, creativity and turned down big-money bids vision to unlock the opposition. for him in January. (All ages as of 25.03.16)

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bruno de carvalho (Club president) “Football is losing its values”

Sporting dominated in the 1940s and 1950s, Benfica the 1960s and 1970s, Porto since then. Porto’s empire seems to be crumbling. Do you think a new power shift is occurring in Portuguese football? Unfortunately, what you say is true. Sporting had very big teams until the mid sixties. We won seven championships in 10 years, then there was a change and the change was called Eusebio. Porto became very strong in the eighties and remained strong until six or seven years ago. Now we are trying to get Sporting back to the leadership of Portuguese football. And we want to be seen again as a winning team in Europe. But we have to take it step by step, and keep our feet on the ground, and keep focused. It’s not easy. It’s a long time since Sporting were at the top. We’re talking about 50 or 60 years. We believe it’s possible to start a new era, and that Sporting can again be what my “We’re trying to get Sporting back to the leadership of Portuguese football. And we want to be seen again as a winning team in Europe”

grandfather and my father taught me Sporting were. They were nicknamed “Cronico” because they were chronic winners. It’s my goal as Sporting president to make the club like that again.

You say Sporting want to regain their competitiveness at European level, but given the financial disparity between Portuguese football and, for example, Spanish, English and German football, is that realistic? As I said, we need to go step by step. It is a reality that the gap between the leagues is huge, but we also know that Sporting has something unique, which needs to be worked on, and a lot of people don’t know this. Sporting has more than 400 delegations all over the world. We are not talking about philosophical groups or some fans who organise a supporters’ club in their homes, but physical structures. We’re talking about, for example, Sporting Club of Venezuela, Sporting Club of Macao, Sporting Club of Johannesburg, Sporting Club of Toronto, Sporting Club of London, Sporting Club of Paris. We have more than 400 of these structures all over the world. We are in all the continents and have been

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for more than 80 years. We are now in the delegations have a connection to the Home grown...Cedric world’s top 10 football clubs in terms of academies because you only gain members, with 135,000. When you want something if you create synergies between something bad enough, when you work all the parties. What we see now in our hard, when you put all your efforts delegations is unique. You look into their together, nothing is impossible. eyes and you see pride, because they have been going for 80 years. One thing I think Will Sporting’s ethos continue to be people don’t realise is that football is based on developing and using losing its values. We have a very home-grown players? hypocritical situation in football. Very Sporting, of course, are known because important people in the game have said to Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo became me: “There is nothing else in the world that the best in the world, but it’s not just those can make a blue-eyed blond-haired boy two; Cedric was considered the best right- look to a black man and say ‘this is my back in England after we sold him to idol’’.” I say to people that is all well and Southampton. We are in the top three good, very philosophical, very nice, but clubs as regards players who came let’s stop a while and try to understand through our academy who are now playing what happens. What I want is for the child mark in football. When I leave I want in Europe’s five major leagues. We are the to look at the player and say: “I want to be people to believe that there are good club that supplies the most players to the like him because he has values, he works people in football. This is not a problem Portugal national team. This is our DNA. hard, he showed me that in life you have afflicting only football. World Soccer has This is what we do best. To produce to work very hard, you need to fight for the “global football” on its cover. The lack of players, develop them and maximise their goals without stopping, my ultimate principles and values is a global problem. capacity. The second thing that makes ambition is to be the best of the best.” Not only a football problem. It’s a society people see us as a very different club is But this isn’t what happens. The problem is problem. And when you have that problem you have a lot of consequences. When you have a lack of values you have financial crises in countries, you have social crises in countries, and in football you have clubs going bankrupt. We are speaking about billions of people who love this sport, and these billions of people need to receive more than emotion, they need to receive lessons of life, and football has forgotten its social aspect. If you pass the message that you can obtain success through dubious means you don’t pass the proper football values, and one day in 10 years, in 100 years, I don’t know, football will lose everything.

Like you, Jorge Jesus is a strong personality who is not afraid of saying what he thinks. Do you consider him the perfect coach for your Sporting project? Yes. Jorge is the consolidation of these three years. Jorge works 24 hours a day, he has ambition, he likes excellence, he sees football as a combination of that there is a line we refuse to cross. We Team...Carvalho and the child looks to the player and says: knowledge, talent and hard work. This is don’t believe in clubs owned by individuals. coach Jorge Jesus “He’s my idol because he didn’t go to very important for me and for the club. We believe in clubs owned by the fans. school, he has all the girls he wants, he We are unafraid of telling things as they This is a very big difference between has money, he doesn’t do anything, he are, we are strong personalities, and we Sporting and some other clubs. We believe just plays football. I want that. I want a are leaders. We always look for perfection. we can go to 49 per cent in terms of good life and lots of money.” This is not In life you will never achieve perfection, business, but 51 per cent needs to be what football needs to provide for children. but at least, even if it’s your last breath, fans. This is football’s strength. A lot of You need to be able to give the right your last thought should always be that clubs with the dimension of Sporting have values. Sporting is well-known in the world you tried for perfection. That’s why we a different view. They believe ownership since I arrived because we have ideals, are a very good combination. People can bring them success. Three years ago, we fight for them, we have proposals for questioned whether it was possible people said that Sporting were three changing football. We were the face of the for strong personalities like us to work months away from closing its doors. Now fight against the [third-party ownership] together. Let me tell you, it’s so easy for we are talking about making Sporting a funds, we were the face of introducing new people who are thinking the same way chronic winner. technologies, this is how people need to to work together. We are very good be in life and in football. They need to friends and have a single mind, which It’s interesting that Sporting have this have values that people can understand. I is merged to get Sporting to where we two-pronged approach to raising their don’t want to live in a world where when I both want the club to be, which is the global profile… go to a cafe I hear people saying leading team in Portuguese football, We are speaking about two different everybody involved in football is corrupt or and then showing the Sporting that things, but we try to make sure the bad. I’m 44 years old and I want to leave a Europe used to see.

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