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| Monday, 28 February 2011 22:45 |
Opinion: Fog descending on once-proud SportingLisbon giants must beware of spectre of Boavista There was something fitting about the fog that descended for Sporting Lisbon’s 1-0 loss to Nacional da Madeira on Sunday, for these are murky times indeed for the capital club.
The predictable Liga Sagres result brought an end to a week in which the club sacked manager Paulo Sergio, and comes after a tumultuous start to the New Year that has seen the dismissal of director of football Costinha and the resignation of president Jose Eduardo Bettencourt.
A slow-motion car wreck in the making for over a year, the mire continues to deepen for a club now a shadow of its former self.
Costinha comes and goesCostinha was brought in to use the tenacity which typified his career to guide the club through a tough rebuilding phase as the coffers tightened at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Instead, he lasted less than a year, sacked after openly criticising the board for their sale of talismanic striker Liedson in January without informing either himself or Sergio.
Sergio followed him out the door shortly afterwards, dismissed upon Sporting’s exit at the last-32 stage of the Europa League on Thursday. It is another unsavoury episode to what is fast becoming the club’s own Novela.
This is a proud club that lists 18 league titles on its resume, and has nurtured world-class talent like Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Luis Figo. How Sporting fans must yearn for such talent now, with few jewels remaining in the once-mighty crown.
Key players departHaving seen the likes of prized assets Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso file through the exit door prior to the season, the worst nightmares of Sportinguistas were realised in January when Liedson was sold back to Brazilian club Corinthians.
The quality in the Leoes’ engine room has not been replaced, with Spaniard Alberto Zapater appearing incapable and former Portugal internationals Maniche and Pedro Mendes brave but wearied as their distinguished careers draw to a close.
Liedson’s departure was countered by the arrival of fellow Brazilian and former Pacos de Ferreira attacker Cristiano, but the scoring mantle is more likely to now fall to Helder Postiga and Yannick Djalo.
Postiga bright spotPostiga has been one of the few positives this season, with 10 goals from 23 games and a scoring return for the national team indicating the 28-year-old may be returning to the sort of form that once persuaded English Premier League club Tottenham to part with 12 million euros for his services.
More is required from Djalo, however, with the speedy 24-year-old yet to fully capitalise on the potential he showed on debut in 2006.
Still, few could criticise Sergio’s reign at the club. He leaves having guided Sporting into the last 32 of the Europa League and third on the Liga Sagres table, trailing Porto and Benfica by some margin but without the spending power they have been afforded.
Sergio’s sacking came after the Europa League exit at the hands of Rangers, with a 90th-minute strike from US international Maurice Edu sending the Scottish club into the last 16 after Djalo’s goal had seemingly put Sporting through.
And while the similarities between Sporting and Rangers – who have also had to tighten the belts and say farewell to their own key striker, Kenny Miller, in January – were hard to ignore, the Lisbon club would do well to mind the example set by a club somewhat closer to home.
Boavista’s plummetJust a few seasons ago, Boavista were a regular in continental competition and a constant challenger to Portugal’s ‘big three’ of Sporting, Benfica and Porto. The Porto-based club are just one of two sides to win the league out of that troika since the first season in its current format in 1934/35, and made the semi-final of the UEFA Cup as recently as 2002/03.
But the construction of a new stadium – in time for Portugal’s co-hosting of the 2004 Euro Championships – and some lacklustre league performances saw the club run into financial difficulties, and they suffered the ignominy of consecutive relegations to now play in Portugal’s third tier.
Just a three-hour drive away from the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Boavista could now not be any further from their former rivals. Their fall from grace should prove a salutary lesson for Sporting. Stability is a luxury the Lisbon club has not had for some time, and the forthcoming presidential elections may spell more tumult before things improve.
Fortunes have to take an upturn, and soon. Portuguese football needs a successful Sporting to keep the likes of Porto and Benfica honest. But to consider that a divine right, however, is a mistake Sporting could find fatal.
by Paddy Higgs |
But at least Sporting haven't lost 10-0 to one of their bitter rivals this season and aren't looking over their shoulder at relegation, so look at the bright side.
Big teams sometimes go through these rebuilding phases, but like Feyenoord they have a good crop of young players to call upon and a loyal fan base.
As much as the rivals of teams like Sporting & Feyenoord like to see them lose to smaller teams they know that without them the league will be a much more boring place.
Sporting just need to make sure they get a Europa spot for next season, and if possible surprise Benfica tonight and try and win the League Cup which would be a good season in the end for them.
As a proud Sportinguista I have more class than to dwell in the misery of others. Your comments really reflect on the "saloio" mentality of your "torcida."
Sporting does have the capacity to regenerate and build a strong team, I just wished our infighting would end. Hopefully by clearing the director, president, coach and cushy foreigners a new mentality is brought in.
The lions will roar again!!
Please don't tell me that Sporting doesn't or can't get money. They are the second biggest club in Portugal, and should they start winning again, the stadium will be full.
Where has the money gone? Bad purchases? Someones pockets?
Sporting is not Braga. They are a Portuguese Football giant, and should start acting like it. It's pathetic what has happened there, no matter how much joy it may bring me.
I love ripping family members that are Sportinguistas, never. By ripping i mean I just state truths. Things they can't deny.
I do worry about Benfica overpaying for Salvio. I also worry about Aimar leaving since I don't think that Martins is the answer.
I don;t worry about Benfica's finances at this time. Once Fabiano leaves Sevilla they might come calling for Cardozo once again. We should at least get our money back on him if he goes. Coentrao is going to bring a nice profit as well.
The question is who will fill in those gaps and what players will grow to bring in more money. Gaitan, Jara, or even Rodrigo who's at Bolton?
Sporting needs a new wave of young players to develop, recently Sporting has been a dry well which is not good for Portuguese soccer. I know they have a few youth players with potential but potential is not a guarantee. We have seen too many busts in Portuguese soccer, for every 5 potential good players you get 1. A bad trend in Portuguese soccer is that can you name any great players in their early 20's in Portugal at the moment? There are a few but we need Sporting to get the house in order to get competitive and develop players.
Keep in mind that I can't help it but to smirk anytime I hear or read that Sporting is plummeting/awful/in crisis. It's a joy to watch and read.
That being said, like it's been mentioned, Boavista was more due to corruption, but don't assume that the same could be going on at Sporting. They decided to stay put and maintaing the same squad from the previous result after a good campaign two seasons ago. They went out and refused to pay a better manager in Paciencia, who was smart to walk away. They spent money on old legs instead of young talent.
It's amazing how badly this franchise has been run, with the history that they've had. I too realize that we need Sporting to be part of a "Big Three" once again. They have the following and should be able to bounce back faster than Braga or anyone else could build up.
Although some people might say it was horrible that they let Veloso, Moutinho, and other go without replacements, I say they waited too long. They could have gotten more money for those same players earlier on and been able to invest in new ones. Now they went out the door on the cheap.
Sell the players at their peak. We are a sellers league.
Has a Benfiquista I was sad to see Di Maria, Ramires and Luis go, but I get it. I will also be sad when Coentrao will go this summer. I just hope that we have good enough people that will bring in the right talent so we can continue to compete at the highest level.
Where is that vaulted talent from the Sporting Academy's? Along with some young players I see plenty of old ones throughout the squad. Both Portuguese and foreign talent.
Sporting have a great youth academy and will always produce good young talent, and that alone should be enough to keep them established as a strong Superliga side, if not one that challenges for titles.
Sporting will be fine, they just need a bit of patience in this rebuilding phase. A good, young, hungry manager in the summer would be a good start. Domingos is a good shout, maybe even Paulo Sousa but that would be a bit of a gamble.
I'm curious as to what Braga will receive from this deal. It may be an exchange of players or money. I think that seeing Lima go to Porto makes people wonder if Falcao is leaving but relax. Porto do not have a back up striker because Walter sucks. Lima can score goals and has a better free kick than Belluschi.
I think he'll be going to Sporting and Braga will get Jardim as a new coach.
sinama pongolle
mendes
maniche
all costing a fortune and for what
Disgrace on the league who continually lets the likes of benfica and porto hog all the wealth.
The league is sh*t at best and whilst next year we will see more teams in eurpoe its happened before.
we wont be able to maintain it.
bring on the euro super league
I think this article highlights just how important the management of the books is just as important as the running of the football department.
As a Rangers supporter I'm frustrated by years of financial mismanagement that have left my own team in the dire predicament they are in now. Let's hope both sides can bounce back on the balance sheet and on the pitch in coming years.
The thing that does worry me is their financial position. Given the fact that they are looking at putting in fake grass which will lower their ability to spend as much in the summer (also less talent will want to play on fake grass). They are not getting much Euro cash again and their fans have left their stadium empty (it seems that Braga brings out a bigger crowd now a days) it hurt Sporting's bottom line.
I guess we'll have to wait till next season to see if Sporting start rebuilding correctly or if they start to find longer term home in the mid table.