News

Lisbon Sporting in a tournament in honor of the 90th anniversary of FC Spartak won the silver medal, losing only winner of the competition Barcelona. Such a result Portuguese became a minor sensation, because most of the players who came to the team in Moscow, was born in 1996.

The reasons of such team squad and the results of the tournament commented a team manager Pedro Miguel Afonso da Luz in the interview for the official website of Spartak:

- There is a crucial stage of the national U-17 Championship in Portugal now, we had not made an agreement about shifting of games, so we decided to come to the tournament with a team made up mostly of players born in 1996. Especially since the U-16 team plays not in the national championship but in the local championship, where they find it too easy to outplay the rivals. And to improve football skills, our players need matches against strong rivals where they need to put a lot of effort for winning. The experience gained in the tournament, dedicated to 90th anniversary of Spartak will be useful to our players in the future when they become professional footballers.

-During the tournament you lost only Barcelona...

- BARSA is a strong team, it started the game against us very well. But we managed to score it, and then because of our mistake we missed the third goal - this moment broke  a team. All the other games were not easy, and many of them we could also lose. But the guys wanted to prove that great defeat of the Barcelona was a mistake.

Our players did not need any extra motivation, they are motivated every day, because they are doing what they like, and they do it in a perfect way.

 - What do you think about the Spartak Academy's team U-17, with which you played a draw - 0:0?

The team is good, the players are well prepared physically, I liked the technique some of players. The set of these qualities in a player makes him cool player. Despite the final sixth place of your team, I do not think it really weaker than rivals. The tournament lasts only a week and long competition are more revealing, for example your inner championship.

- How do you like the infrastructure of our Academy?

- The terms of the Academy are excellent. Field where we play - one of the best artificial fields in which we've ever hold matches. However, we always say that the conditions - only a small part of the necessary things to achieve good results: it is necessary, first of all, to have good coaches, there should be right philosophy which sets high goals in order to transfer boys in the academy into professional football players. In my point of view, these elements also exist in your Academy.

-Did you tell to the players what tournament is devoted to? What do you know about Spartak?

- Of course, I said that the tournament is dedicated to the 90th anniversary. Also from friends living in Moscow, we know that Spartak - a club with a rich history, with the largest army of fans. As for the players of the club, I know now that the head coach of the team Valery Karpin was a great football player.

- Are you satisfied with the organization of the tournament?