SPORTING : Domingos on Sporting?s critics

The Sporting coach proved to be in a talkative mood in Wednesday afternoon's press conference, tackling a whole wealth of issues at the Club and what he sees as a daily targeting of his side.

"There are a lot of people that like to talk about this Club. I see a lot of people talking about Sporting in a completely different way to others. It is easy to pick on Sporting and it seems easy to attack the image of the Club why? Because people take a different approach with the other two big Club's", opened Domingos, adding an analysis of what he sees as the reason for Sporting's current league position: "It would have been difficult for anybody to predict us dropping points at the start of the season in the fashion in which we did. Injury problems really affect the structure of this team, which is one that managed to win 10 games on the run. However, you could look at that as something normal that could happen to any team."

The Alvalade boss understandably avoided pointing fingers at any specific critics of the Club, but did note: "I have to read things like that and then I decide which things are worth paying attention to. What is most important right now is that we start turning in wins, because this Club has to be in the fight with Porto and Benfica. I say that with all respect for Braga and Guimarães, but Sporting is a team with three or four million fans and that means that we have to take the fight to Porto and Benfica."

Domingos again touched on the subject of criticism aimed at Alvalade, highlighting a few particular examples that he sees as most problematic: "It is easy to criticise. Sometimes it seems like people who have already been at this Club are a bit shaken up and a lot of people who would like to be here like to talk about some weird idea of injustice. The world around Sporting is like that and all you have to do is look at the last three coaches who worked here. Carlos Carvalhal said that this was the hardest Club to work at, Paulo Sérgio said that he felt isolated and that he didn't have support and Paulo Bento is practically punching it out with the media and referees. However, who is here right here right now is me. The people are responsible here right now are myself and my team and the constant ups and downs that we are put through mean that it is hard to get a steady footing. The book at Sporting stops with me and what is a young team that is working as hard as it possibly can. They are an honest bunch of lads that are doing their best with the help of some fantastic fans who believe in us."

Reflecting on the weekend's defeat in Braga, Domingos took the opportunity to talk about his time with the northern Portuguese side: "Last season, at around this time of year, I received a phone call from Artur Santos, who was Djaló's agent at the time. He told me to be on my toes, because he had been working on taking a player to Monaco when another coach said to him that he couldn't because there was a 99% chance that the same coach who said that would be working at Braga the following season. I didn't say anything. I just put my head down and paid attention to what was going on around me. I carried on leading the team and I got all the way to the final of the Europa League. That is how I work and, to be honest, I don't worry about what other people are saying or doing. Even today there are a few stories in the papers of people who are sulking."

The Alvalade coach then went on to highlight that his team is keen to bring home silverware: "For this Club to be make the changes that it wants, we have to be different. We don't want to go 8 years without winning the league or a cup again. I want to win and I want to get Sporting's fans smiling again, because that is what they deserve."

Domingos also revealed that he laughed off a situation that came about following the weekend's clash with Braga: "There were players in the tunnel that were making a bit of fun because of the result. You know what my reaction was? It was positive. Hugo Viana wasn't even playing in Valencia and it was me that signed him. His career took off from then and today is he a different player. He picked up a serious injury and I went to see him in the hospital, so what can I really say about his behavior now? However, I am not the kind of person to get hung up on something like that. In the near future people could be saying that I made Onyewu and Ricky van Wolfswinkel into what they will be when they adapt to Portuguese football."

Finishing with a reply about the idea of players leaving Alvalade during this transfer window, the Sporting coach said: "I don't want to lose anybody and I have already said that publically. I don't want André Santos to leave, nor do I want anyone else to either. This is the group that I want to be in charge of."

Text: Andreia Alexandre
Photos: Pedro Cruz