Sporting Lisbon's victory over PSG marked the first time the Portuguese club managed to defeat the reigning Champions League winners, causing a huge resonance in Alvalade and in European sport.
Among the many notable names of the match – Gonçalo Inacio, Trincao, Luis Suárez – but one name stands out above the rest: Rui Borges, the coach who took the Sporting bench and transformed the team into a competitive force.
From Vitória Guimarães to the challenge with Sporting CP
A little over a year ago, Rui Borges took on the difficult responsibility of replacing Ruben Amorim at the helm of Sporting.
This name was no coincidence; Borges had shown exceptional ability at Vitória Guimaraes, where he led the team to the Conference League, finished the season undefeated and finished second only to Chelsea.
Before that, he had worked with various Portuguese clubs such as Mirandela, Académico Viseu, Coimbra, Nacional, Vilafranquense, Mafra, Moreirense, building a consolidated career.
The work philosophy and humility of Rui Borges, Amorim's replacement
In his presentation at Sporting, Borges stressed: "I promise hard work and a fighting attitude on all fronts."
Nothing was given to him, and humility has always been the cornerstone of his philosophy. It is no coincidence that he continues to wear the same Casio watch that has accompanied him for 20 years, a symbol of his steadfastness and simplicity.
Confronting Amorimi's legacy was not easy, as his influence on Alvalade seemed immense. Borges chose common sense, preserving the team structure that had made Sporting Lisbon great, rather than imposing his own personal style. The results were immediate: he won the league and cup, an achievement the club had not seen for decades.
After receiving the award for the best coach of the season in Portugal, Borges emphasized: "This award does not belong only to Rui Borges, but to the entire coaching staff, the players and the entire Sporting organization, which is a big, focused and humble family. I also owe a large part of this award to the ability of our fans to believe in these achievements as much as, or even more than, us."
Strategic changes and the rise of local players
Even after the departure of key players like Gyukeres, Borges did not stop. He abandoned Amorimi's 3-4-2-1 formation and decided on his preferred 4-2-3-1 style. The standards were high, but he did not hesitate to give opportunities to homegrown players like Eduardo Quaresma, Joao Simoes and Geovany Quenda, further strengthening the connection with the academy, the foundation of Sporting.
This season, Sporting have already collected 42 points in the first half, up from 41 last season. Although competition in Portugal is fierce – with Porto breaking records – Sporting have made waves in Europe. They have won every game at Alvalade and are aiming for a top-eight spot in the Champions League.
Victory over Luis Enrique
Sporting Lisbon surprised everyone on Tuesday, defeating PSG 2-1 with goals from Luis Suarez and now with 13 points, as many as PSG, Man City and Atalanta, they showed their teeth once again.
Luis Enrique was harsh with his players and the game they played after the match.
Borges, after the victory against PSG, declared that it was a great victory, against the best team in Europe.
"It was a great victory. We secured three very difficult points against a great team. We faced many challenges, but we achieved what I asked for: cohesion and passion. We knew we would suffer against the best team in Europe," he declared.
With this victory, his European record reaches 14 wins and a winning percentage of 61%, while his Casio watch continues to remain a symbol of his calm and humility, showing that great successes are not only linked to luxury or show, but to discipline and the right strategy. /Telegraph/
