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Sebastián Coates: El Patrón
May 15th 2018. An insignificant day for many, yet the darkest in the rich history of Sporting Clube de Portugal, while significant in marking the legacy of Sebastián Coates, affectionately referred to as “El Patrón” or “Seba” by many Sportinguistas. On this day, a mob of 50 disgruntled vandals launched a brutal attack on…
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Francisco Conceição: The Portuguese Winger Stepping Out of His Father’s Shadow
At 21 years of age, Francisco Conceição has emerged as one of the rising stars of Portuguese football. He underwent a remarkable breakthrough season at Porto in 2021-22 under the wings of his father, manager Sérgio Conceição, and whilst he never quite managed to be more than a supersub, his performances attracted the attention of…
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Jota Silva – Grealish de Guimarães
Wingers named Jota have become popular in Britain wherever they pass, and the next along the Portuguese production line of Jota’s is the man dubbed the Portuguese Grealish in João Pedro Ferreira Silva, the international forward who through a brilliant season at Vitória SC has caught the attention of a proactive West Ham, who have…
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Roger Fernandes: The Player Beyond the Noise
It has been a rollercoaster campaign for Braga. After edging TSC and Panathinaikos in the qualifying rounds, the Arsenalistas returned to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 11 years, finishing behind Real Madrid and Napoli and ahead of Union Berlin, before losing to Qarabağ in the first round of the Europa League…
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Hidemasa Morita: The Japanese Midfielder Running the Show at Sporting
One of Europe’s hottest management prospects in Sporting Clube de Portugal manager Rúben Amorim once said: “I think every manager should train at least one Japanese player. A player who is always ready to help the team, apologises one thousand times a day, is very respectful, will play anywhere and just wants to learn…I only…
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From Brandsen To Antas: The Rise Of Alan Varela
Few nations on the planet have had a bigger impact on the footballing landscape than South American juggernaut Argentina. From Lionel Messi, to Gabriel Batistuta, Diego Maradona, Mario Kempes, and Alfredo Di Stéfano, La Albiceleste’s legendary pantheon of players and its three World Cup wins are woven into the beautiful game’s illustrious tapestry. As…
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António Silva: The Lowdown on Benfica’s Prodigious Center Back
In the Portuguese domestic football landscape, where talent shines bright and potential knows no bounds, one club in recent times has been head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to unearthing gems, be it by scouring the South American continent for the next big thing or by looking from within thanks to their…
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Francisco Trincão’s Resurgence in Attack at Sporting
At 24 years of age, Francisco Trincão is finding a new lease on life in Rúben Amorim’s attack at Sporting, and he is on course to win the first league title of his career. The winger has scored 6 goals and 4 assists in 24 league appearances for the Lions, who sit four points above…
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How Rúben Amorim Turned Sporting into a Powerhouse
When Rúben Amorim took charge of Sporting in March 2020, the club had won just four major trophies in the previous decade: two Taça de Portugal titles and two Taça da Liga titles. Since then, he’s ended a 19-year drought for the league title, he’s guided them to two Taça da Liga titles, and he…
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João Neves: Benfica’s Homegrown Superstar in Midfield
Club: Benfica Nationality: Portugal Position(s): CM, DM, AM Preferred Foot: Right Height: 5’9”/174cm Age: 19 Strengths: composure, dribbling, technical ability, tackling, duels, passing, vision Areas for Development: experience On September 22, 2006, Benfica launched the state-of-the-art Benfica Campus training ground, taking their academy to the next level and ushering in a new wave of…
