The Sporting CP now has an attack composed of Gyokeres and Harder, a department that is the envy of many. The Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim commented in a press conference on why it was decided to have three strikers of this level: “The market closed and Viktor stayed with us. The plan for a player was already ready, but we didn’t manage to do it. We looked for a winger and we didn’t find one. This is part of our life. We don’t want a second Viktor, because it’s impossible. It would be a mistake to think about this. We wanted a player with similar characteristics, so that if something were to happen to Viktor, the team wouldn’t have to change his characteristics. Harder? When we lost Ioannidis, we looked at the list to make sure we had the same way of playing. There was an English team (Brighton, reports Fabrizio Romano) who wanted the player, would have paid more than us and left him there to see his potential. We evaluated him, he decided to come here and we didn’t change our way of playing”.
What are your goals?
“I think I said since last year that we want to be champions. That’s the goal. The first year we were out, but from then on I remember saying that we were in the running for the title. We really want to be champions twice, that would be a very important step. We want to get back into the Champions League to keep our players.”
Will Harder be called up?
“It depends on the match, he will have time to show himself to the Sporting fans. There are still some internationals arriving, but in principle he will be in the team.”
If the opportunity to renew arose, would you sign?
“I have a contract. I feel very good here. There is a group of people who help the players grow. The credit goes to everyone, as the president said.”
There was talk of a clause for Gyokeres.
“This off-season has been more difficult. There are other players who want to make the leap in quality and that doesn’t mean they don’t love Sporting. The first time I spoke I said I didn’t think anyone would pay the clause. I don’t see it as dissatisfaction. Viktor is a great player and I think he’s worth 100 million. It’s a question of price, whoever wants him will have to pay 100 million.”
Ioannidis is making a name for himself. Are you afraid you’ve lost him for good?
“He is not one of our players, I am concerned about not losing our players and focusing on the forwards.”