Artur Jorge did not hide his frustration at the loss of Al Musrati, one of Sp. Braga’s core players in recent years and who was sold to Besiktas, for 12 M€ (plus 2.5 M€ for goals).
“I confess that at this point I wouldn’t think about losing him. But there were open markets, he was a very coveted player, he wasn’t playing because he was injured for three months. It’s part of what it means to accept the club’s project, with maximum demands, ambition, but with the need to sell assets that we leverage here. He is happy, the club is happy too, the coach is not happy, but now it is a challenge for me, to fill this empty space”, he stated, being then asked about the management of the market, as André Horta, Castro and Al Musrati left, with only Ndour arriving.
“We tried to fill a position that was not possible, we lost Al Musrati and the coach is left with that in his hands, but this does not determine the approach from now on. We won a title, there is a lot of season to do, it does not diminish our ambition, there is a lot to win”, noted Artur Jorge, without revealing the position that remained to be strengthened. But it really was a central issue and there was even news of negotiations in that regard.
Finally, Artur Jorge commented on the signing of João Marques, from Estoril, who only arrives next summer: “I’ve already spoken to him. He will, we hope, be useful in the near future.”
Maintain Leiria’s effectiveness
In previewing the game with Sporting, Artur Jorge recalled that the duel in the first round ended in a draw and also the Minho triumph in the semi-final of the Allianz Cup. “We were better than the opponent, because the evaluation cannot be made based on the dominance, superiority, and numbers are worth what they are worth. We will try to maintain effectiveness. But this is another game, another context and with two good teams that will want to win”, said Artur Jorge. “Sporting is a very strong opponent, well oriented, they are extremely motivated and we will have to be at our best to discuss the result and try to win”, said the coach, who awaits the arrival of Banza, who participated in the CAN, in the next few days. : “He played very little and had this outburst with me…”
Thigh injury sidelines Serdar
Serdar Saatçi is confirmed absent for tonight’s match, against Sporting. The Turkish central defender suffered an injury to his right thigh, meaning he joins Adrián Marín and Bruma in the list of those unavailable due to injury. Niakaté returned to training on Wednesday, after being at CAN, but Artur Jorge should keep José Fonte and Paulo Oliveira in the eleven.
2024-02-11 10:41:01
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