Rui Borges, the manager of Sporting, admitted to feeling both physical and mental fatigue within the team, but acknowledged that securing second place brings them “motivation and tranquility.” Speaking at a press conference after a 4-1 victory over Rio Ave in the 33rd round of the Liga, the Sporting boss stated that the team had to overcome difficult days, but reclaiming the runner-up spot provides “motivation and mental peace.”
**How does the group react to returning to second place?**
“The group is happy. We managed to win the game, even after falling behind against a good team that has had a very strong second half of the season. They are a brilliant side. The team was delighted with the win, and there is the added boost of being back in second place. However, we must stay focused. There is one round left at home, in front of our fans. We need their energy and support. We’ve also had fantastic support away. We will play against Gil Vicente, who are having a great campaign and will make it difficult for us. We are happy to be second, but we must stay very concentrated, recover well, and be mentally ready for the final match. Being in control of our own destiny is crucial.”
**Assessment of the refereeing and what the victory brings to the group**
“I believe the refereeing decisions were correctly judged. Returning to second place brings motivation and mental tranquility. We lost the chance to fight for the title, and the runner-up spot – mentally, that was tough for the group. But we managed to overcome that. The team is capable, as they showed today. It’s important to realize we are back in second place and once again control our own fate. This helps the team and the players mentally, and I hope it motivates them for the difficulty of the last match.”
**Does failing to finish second cross your mind?**
“What crosses my mind is finishing second. I feel it’s positive because the team can breathe a little easier mentally, the atmosphere becomes different, but we cannot let our guard down because we have a difficult match ahead, even though it’s at home. It’s the end of the season, and energy levels are not always at 100 percent – that’s natural for every team. But our motivation and ambition – and the players have shown that throughout the season – those 15 difficult days don’t define the great campaign the group is having. It’s crucial that we depend on ourselves, and we must do everything to achieve that against an opponent having a great season. But I believe the group’s motivation to hold on to second place is strong.”
**Reviving the group after a tough period**
“Winning two consecutive matches after those 15 days is hugely important. The difficult part after the Arsenal games was just catching our breath. We entered these more normal weeks after that week which took us out of those goals. The challenge was the mental blow of being out of the title race and no longer relying on ourselves for second place. Even with normal weeks, it’s hard to get them fully focused. Even in training, no matter how willing they are. The fatigue is there, and it’s tough for coaches – not just at Sporting. The final weeks are tough for all teams. The wear and tear is enormous, it’s a World Cup year, players are involved in international call-ups… it’s difficult, but we have managed to help the players because it depends a lot on them. No matter how much I want to be a nice guy and try to pull them up, it’s hard. My talks largely revolve around that.”