Remember when Sporting were 2-0 to Belenenses SAD and clinched an injury-time penalty equaliser? Well, things have progressed since then… they’ve finally won the Primeira Liga title, their first in 19 years! They sealed it with a 1-0 win at home to Boavista last night and, as a fan, I’m over the moon.
I started following Os Leãos in 2017 when I watched their 3-1 home win over Olympiakos in the Champions League and it’s been a topsy-turvy ride. On 15 May 2018, several players and coaches were attacked by a group of supporters at the club’s training ground and went onto lose the Portuguese Cup final to Aves 5 days later. Worse still, due to the toxic environment at the club created by then-president Bruno de Carvalho (who was accused of inciting the supporter violence but later acquited) 9 players decided to leave the club including captain Rui Patricio. Bruno de Carvalho was eventually dismissed.
Jesus left that year and was replaced by Marcel Keizer who stayed for one season, winning the Taça de Portugal and the Taça da Liga. His replacement was Rúben Amorim, their current manager and, well, the rest is history—championship-winning history. The remaining players from the horror attack in 2018 have been through a lot and I’m so happy for them.
Campeões, Campeões, Olé, Olé, Olé!