“It’s been a very good week. We’ve had time to prepare the team and this match in the best possible way, and I’m very pleased with that. When you play away from home, it’s always difficult. But nothing changes for us; we’ve prepared for this match in exactly the same way. It will be a tight game.”
“João Neves is ready. He had a minor issue, so we decided not to take any risks with him last week. As for Nuno Mendes’ suspension, we have to accept it. We know there will be provocations from our opponents, and it’s up to us to handle them differently.”
“It’s difficult to know our current level, as this will be the first matchday of the league season. But what I can say after these past few weeks of training is that there is more intensity than there was last year.”
“We like to play football. Attractive, entertaining, attacking football. We aim to perform well regardless of the opponent, no matter what they do. If there’s space, we look to take advantage of it. If there isn’t, we adapt. We look to make the most of anything that can help improve the team. We have many options, and the difficulty lies in finding the one that can help us improve.”
“We’re looking to improve the training sessions, every exercise, every move. We also want to improve the team’s attacking and defensive approach. I think we are a source of motivation for our opponents because we have won the most important trophies in recent years. It’s a very interesting challenge for us.”
“We always remain open to possibilities, right up until the final day. So far, I think we’ve signed some very good players to give us even more options as we look to win. That’s what motivates us, and I’m very happy with what we’ve done up to this point.”
“Lots of players want to join the club, but it’s difficult to find players who we believe can help improve the team. You need a combination of physical, technical and mental qualities. Every player needs time to adapt, and that amount of time can vary.”
“Mika is a top-level forward, even though he’s only 21. He can play in every position in attack. He has a good mentality. You can see the ambition he had to come here when you talk to him. It’s very important for us to have that desire to improve and to play. It’s easier to change things when you lose, but I think the key is knowing how to make changes even when you’re winning. We’re always looking for ways to motivate the players.”
