On Wednesday evening, the Mauves arrived in Poland, where they are set to play their third match in the group stage of the Europa League. Away at Białystok, defender Giulian Biancone and manager Vitor Bruno held a press conference, which you can watch on Mauve TV.
Giulian Biancone is making his return to the squad for this match. “It was an injury that took a long time to heal, but we’ve worked very well with the entire medical staff. I’ve also spoken with the coach about when I’d be back, and I’m now 100 per cent ready to help the team this Thursday evening. It’s true that it’s always difficult to be away from the pitch for so long, especially with this squad, which I really appreciate. It was extremely frustrating not being able to help my team-mates over the last five weeks. I’m very happy to be back with them and I hope it will all be positive from tomorrow onwards.”
The defender doesn’t feel the squad is lacking in confidence. “I really don’t like hearing talk of a crisis. We’ve been working well with the manager since he arrived and he has my full support. We’ve simply failed to get results in the last two matches. But in terms of our style of play and our principles, we’re fully behind the work we’ve been doing. This isn’t a crisis, we’re all moving in the same direction. If people are talking about a crisis after two defeats, it just shows how big the club is and the expectations that come with it. We’re ready to rise to the challenge and we’ll try to get back on track.”
Manager Vitor Bruno knows what lies ahead for his team at the Chorten Arena. “Europa League matches are always tough. These fixtures demand a higher level of performance. So I’m expecting to face a tricky opponent. This is, after all, a team that notably knocked Glasgow Rangers out of this competition. In their last match against Ararat, they put in a very good performance. They’re a side that doesn’t just focus on the physical side of the game; they like to play and control the ball. We’ll therefore need to show intensity and try to put them under pressure when they’re in possession.”
Sporting are still without any points in this group stage. "It’s true that we haven’t picked up any points in this competition yet. But when we analyse our matches, we could have got a different result against Lyon based on the good second half we put in. I also feel that a draw would have been a poor result against Zagreb, as we created several clear chances and it was hard to take conceding a goal like that at the end of the match. We’ll have to give it our all this Thursday from the very first minute to show them what we’re made of and pick up the three points at the end of the match.”
In any case, the Portuguese coach will not be selecting his starting eleven with an eye on the upcoming Jupiler Pro League clash against the Buffalo’s. “I’ve only got one match on my mind and that’s tomorrow’s match against Jagiellonia Białystok. I’m not thinking about next Sunday’s league match. That’s what I’ve been doing from the start, in fact. This isn’t bullshit. Giulian can confirm that we never talk about the next match. I believe we must always work for the next day. This match is the most important one for us. So I’ll field the players I think are best to start this European fixture.”
