The season is 2004/05. Sporting Clube de Portugal are poised for glory on two fronts. José Pereira’s team go into the final week of the campaign top of the table and in the final of the UEFA Cup, which through happy coincidence is being staged at the club’s Alvalade home.
What proceeded to happen is so traumatic that, nearly a decade later, many in Portugal say the Lisbon club has yet to recover. A controversial defeat at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz, allowing their cross-town rivals to nick the championship from under their noses, and a heart-breaking loss against CSKA Moscow in only their second ever European final, meant a season that had promised so much ended with nothing but painful memories of what might have been.
At the heart of the team was club icon Ricardo Sá Pinto, now the coach of the Portuguese outfit. Pinto was an aggressive midfield driving force throughout the season, and particularly instrumental in the team’s finest performance on their way to the final.
Losing 2-0 on aggregate with 50 minutes remaining in the quarter-final tie against Newcastle United, Pinto scored as the Lions roared back to a memorable 4-1 victory. Fast forward seven years and Pinto, now in the manager’s seat, has added another lasting memory, guiding the club to an unlikely victory over Manchester City in the round of sixteen.
Having knocked out one of the richest clubs in world football, a tie against little known Ukrainian outfit Metalist Kharkiv would appear to offer an excellent chance of making progress. But Pinto has been at pains to stamp out any thoughts of complacency among his squad.
“Metalist have no weak points. They played an excellent group stage and knocked out Olympiakos, the Greek league leaders and a very strong team in the last round. We will have to show them the utmost respect,” said Pinto.
Past misdemeanours raised questions about Sá Pinto’s perceived overly aggressive character, but the way the coach has conducted himself in his two months in charge at Sporting has gone a long way to redeeming his reputation. Guiding Sporting to glory in the Europa League would finally put paid to another unwanted reputation, and rid the club he is so passionate about of the tag of “the nearly men”.
At the heart of the team was club icon Ricardo Sá Pinto, now the coach of the Portuguese outfit. Pinto was an aggressive midfield driving force throughout the season, and particularly instrumental in the team’s finest performance on their way to the final.
Losing 2-0 on aggregate with 50 minutes remaining in the quarter-final tie against Newcastle United, Pinto scored as the Lions roared back to a memorable 4-1 victory. Fast forward seven years and Pinto, now in the manager’s seat, has added another lasting memory, guiding the club to an unlikely victory over Manchester City in the round of sixteen.
Having knocked out one of the richest clubs in world football, a tie against little known Ukrainian outfit Metalist Kharkiv would appear to offer an excellent chance of making progress. But Pinto has been at pains to stamp out any thoughts of complacency among his squad.
“Metalist have no weak points. They played an excellent group stage and knocked out Olympiakos, the Greek league leaders and a very strong team in the last round. We will have to show them the utmost respect,” said Pinto.
Past misdemeanours raised questions about Sá Pinto’s perceived overly aggressive character, but the way the coach has conducted himself in his two months in charge at Sporting has gone a long way to redeeming his reputation. Guiding Sporting to glory in the Europa League would finally put paid to another unwanted reputation, and rid the club he is so passionate about of the tag of “the nearly men”.
