João Gião: Toughest Opponent Yet?

Sporting visits Spanish side Real Madrid tomorrow, Wednesday, in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League, starting at 1pm. In previewing the meeting, coach João Gião highlighted that it was an extremely important experience.

«Reaching this already distant stage after very competitive qualifiers and having the possibility of playing against an opponent as strong as Real Madrid makes the atmosphere very expectant. We had three training sessions to prepare for the game with the integration of players from different squads, as is normal in the context of the UEFA Youth League. We tried to convey the message of our game idea and some strategic issues”, he began by highlighting, in statements to the club’s communication channels.

The coach also highlighted the fact that this is his debut in the competition: “We managed to see the best players from different generations and countries, different contexts and ways of approaching the game. It’s a motivating environment, it’s been a very positive experience.”

As for the opponent, he has no doubts: “A colossus in terms of training. Given the quality he has in the first team, perhaps he will add fewer players, but just look at the number of players trained at Real Madrid in the best European leagues. This 2007 generation, in particular, is one of the strongest and has players who have already played for the first team. It is probably the strongest team we have faced so far. Real Madrid has already won this competition and reached the semi-finals several times.”

Asked what the little lions have to do to beat the Spanish, Gião replied: «We have to be immune to adverse environments, as happened in the last round in Germany. You have to be very mentally strong, resilient. We also appeal to the presence of our fans in Madrid. Although in the minority, we hope to feel them, as we felt in Germany. They made themselves heard and were important to us. With Madrid closer, let’s hope they are even more present. On our side, the commitment is as always: Sporting values, competitive and ambitious to give a good response.”