Sporting play their biggest European match for seven years on Thursday evening. The Lisbon side host Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-final first leg, in front of a capacity 50,000 crowd. The last time the Lions played a match of similar magnitude at the Alvalade, it ended in heart-wrenching disappointment as Sporting were beaten in the 2005 UEFA Cup final played in their own stadium by CSKA Moscow.

That loss capped off one of the most traumatic weeks in the club’s history. Five days earlier, Sporting had been usurped from the top of the league in the penultimate round of matches after a controversial defeat at city rivals Benfica. Having started the final week of the 2004/05 season as strong favourites to win two major trophies, Sporting were left with nothing but painful memories of what might have been. Some say they have never fully recovered.

At the heart of that team was a fiery midfield warrior named Ricardo Sa Pinto. Seven years down the line and Pinto, now 39 years old, seems intent on exorcising those demons, as coach of the team.  

Many eyebrows were raised when Domingos Paciencia was sacked in mid February and replaced by a man with no previous experience as head coach of a senior team. Two months later few are questioning the decision.

Impressive start to managerial career

Pinto has won nine, drawn two and lost just three of his 14 matches in charge. He has further endeared himself to the Sporting faithful by knocking one of the Europa League favourites, Manchester City, out of the competition, not to mention an always satisfying victory over eternal rivals Benfica in his first derby as a manager.

His record at home is impeccable. Eight games, eight wins, with just one goal conceded. But Pinto is under no illusions that his side will have to be at their very best to continue the sequence. “This Bilbao is an extremely strong opponent, both home and away. Athletic seem never the tire, always playing frenetically, at a high pace. They merge their Basque identity with the identity of their system of play,” said the Sporting boss.

Pinto is well qualified to make such statements. He spent three seasons at fellow Basque side Real Sociedade at the end of the nineties: “I have good memories of the derbies against Athletic. What most impressed me was the atmosphere, a great festival. In sporting terms I won two derbies and drew two out of four. I hope to continue this run.”

Bielsa admiration

Turning back to tomorrow’s match, Sa Pinto revealed he was firmly on board the ever increasing fan club of Athletic coach Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine manager has earned widespread plaudits for his unconventional tactics and attacking instincts, particularly at his last two jobs as Chile national coach and at Athletic Bilbao.

Portuguese football site Maisfutebol ran a feature on him this week entitled The Mad Genius That Is Bielsa, and Sa Pinto did not hold back in his praise of his counterpart. “He is one of the great coaches working in Spain, alongside Mourinho and Guardiola,” said Pinto.

Despite the praise lavished on Bilbao and their coach, Pinto is adamant that the Portuguese team can make the final. “We have the ability and we want to go further. We will do everything so that we can continue the dream. We are proud of our run so far and we fear nobody. We are Sporting, a club with 106 years of history and tradition in Europe. But we are also a humble and honest team. We will fight to the end.”

Sporting are at full strength apart from long-term injury victims Rinaudo and Rodriguez, and have the theoretical advantage of being well rested. The interruption in the Portuguese league calendar this past weekend to accommodate the Taça da Liga final between Benfica and Gil Vicente means Sporting have not played since winning the Lisbon derby ten days ago.

Well rested

“It was good for the team,” says captain Anderson Polga. “We were playing decisive matches every midweek and weekend. With the break we had the chance to put into practice some things that had to be smoothened out, and it’s always good to have more days to train so that we can be stronger on the pitch.”

The veteran centre-back is the only member of the current team who played in the ill-fated 2005 final. “We have to be a great Sporting to achieve a great result. Only as such can we pursue the dream we all have.”

While Sa Pinto and Polga evoked the dream that is shared by all Sportinguistas, for this particular duo it is also a matter of unfinished business.

Likely Sporting starting XI:
Rui Patricio, Joao Pereira, Polga, Xandao, Insua, Daniel Carrico, Stijn Schaars, Matias Fernandez, Capel, van Wolfswinkel, Izmailov

Follow text commentary of the match live from the stadium at PortuGOAL.net.

by Tom Kundert