Football Season Guide

Sporting got 86 points last season. One has to go back to Mourinho’s title in 2002/03 to have a team with so many points in the league. Yet, Sporting was not on top of league, simply because Benfica topped it with an incredible sum of 88 points. It would be very harsh, then, to consider Sporting’s 2015/16 as a failure; and yet they failed to win the title. With Jorge Jesus at the helm, expectations were very high, specially as the move from Benfica has been feeding a very long and sometimes nasty exchange of comments between staff from both sides. The rivalry between both Lisbon teams has never been as high in the last 30 years. And it is highly expected that it will be kept for this next season too, as Sporting will definitely want to get the hands on the cup this time around. Os Leões will be playing Champions League, this year and it will be very interesting to see if Jorge Jesus keeps his habitual neglecting posture over European Competitions in order to give full priority to the league again. The biggest question mark, as for now, is undoubtedly concerning the possible departures of key players in the team. Slimani and João Mário have been linked with a move many times in recent weeks and it seems difficult that Sporting will be able to keep both of them, if any. Recent European champions Rui Patrício, William Carvalho and Adrien Silva are also targets of many European sides, but it is more likely that Sporting will be able to count on these three for the next season. Rui Patrício will have a good reserve in Beto, who arrived for free from Sevilla. Meli and Alan Ruiz are the biggest signings up to now. The former being the typical number 8 that Jorge Jesus likes so much (a probable substitute for João Mário In the inner-winger/right midfielder position), while the latter a support, technically gifted support forward that should play in Teo Gutierrez’ place, as the Colombian will be likely leaving the club after the Olympics. Whether or not Slimani stays, it seems mandatory that Sporting gets a new striker, since new signing Spalvis just got a long-term injury and Barcos was loaned to Velez. Despite many goals conceded in Pre-season matches, the defensive line should be the least worrying zone for Jesus. Semedo and Coates teamed up for a successful centre-halves duo in the final third of league, while Schelotto is a very reliable right full-back.