In the aftermath of the classic match at Estádio de Alvalade (1-0), Francesco Farioli regretted “the result, which was not what we wanted,” but recalled that “the battle is still halfway through” and promised to “play all our cards at home,” especially since “everything is still up in the air” and the team “is ready for the second leg.” 

After explaining that “Sporting Lisbon's goal should never have happened, because there was a foul on Pepê in that play” and stating that the yellow card shown to Alberto Costa “was not a card,” the Italian coach recalled some “aspects that affected the dynamics of the game” and left a warning: “We are at our limit when it comes to unsportsmanlike conduct”.

Result to be reversed
“We played a good game, especially in the first half. Unfortunately, the result was not what we wanted, but we are still halfway through the battle. We will play all our cards at Estádio do Dragão. We are ready for the second leg.”

The coach's options
“I was not preparing for the next game. I wanted to have specific players on the field today, and they played well. I had to make some forced substitutions, such as Alberto for a yellow card, which wasn't a card. Before that, Sporting had already had three situations where they should have received a yellow card and didn't.”

Penalty preceded by a foul on Pepê
“The penalty was clear, but there had been a foul on Pepê that wasn't called. These are things to comment on, but the game is what it is. In three games against the best attack in the league, they only managed to score through penalties and own goals. We proved once again what we are worth, the attitude was fantastic. We ended the game with a winger and a midfielder in defence. Everyone gave their all. Everything is still up for grabs. Now we are focused on the league.”

Not everything goes
“It took them 20 minutes to come back from the break. It was difficult to find the right balance to compensate for our structure. Twenty minutes is a long time for a break and leaves us wondering. There are many aspects to manage during the game, every touch we make is a foul and on the other side there is not the same criteria. This affects the dynamics of the game, but we had the right attitude. The substitutions affected the game, I had to take Alberto Costa off because of a card and Bednarek because of an injury caused by an unsportsmanlike play. The images are there for all to see. It's just a matter of analysing them and assigning consequences. If we talk about behaviour, it's all there. It's a good time to stop players from doing whatever they want on the field.”

Jan Bednarek's injury
“We'll have to assess it tomorrow. It looks like a bone problem. He was hit in a play where the ball was nowhere near him. The images show everything, and the league must take action. We've reached our limit when it comes to unsportsmanlike conduct. I'm confident they'll do what they have to do. It's sad to see this. We'll turn the page and prepare for Sunday's game, which is the most important thing right now.”

90 minutes ahead
“Losing is never positive. I'm going home with a lot of good things to work on. We played against a team that has only lost one game at home, and it was against us. We played well, the goal should never have happened because there was a foul in our favour in that play. Now we have to review the game on the plane and prepare for the next game. This is only the first leg and it can't have a negative impact on us.”

Everything is still open
“It's the first leg. They have the advantage, but we'll play the second leg at Estádio do Dragão. We know they have the advantage, but if we approach the game in the right way, we have a great chance of moving forward. There's still a long way to go before that game, and we have other challenges to prepare for in the meantime.”

Sporting Lisbon's goal
“A free kick for us that turns into a free kick for them, and from that play comes a clear penalty. There's not much to say.”

Bednarek assaulted
“There are very clear images of what happened. The ball was far away and Sporting Lisbon’s player intentionally hit Bednarek just to hurt him. That's a red card. It's so obvious. I hope the people in charge analyse the images and decide on the appropriate consequences. In addition, there are unbelievable gestures that leave no doubt as to the interpretation. If the rules are followed, we already know what will happen. Today we should have played against Santa Clara or AFS. Giving a player like Hjulmand the opportunity to pressure the referee on every play, while our captain can't even take a step to speak, is embarrassing to watch. It is what it is. We still have many opportunities ahead of us.”

Benfica is next
“It’s a very important game. It’s early March, there are still a lot of points to play for. Classics are always important, but they are nothing more than that. The season is very long and there are still a lot of games to play.”

Moffi and Fofana in the starting lineup
“Terem Moffi and Seko Fofana hadn’t been in the starting lineup yet. They usually come on from the bench, but they hadn't had this exposure yet. The response was very positive. I really believe in the strength of the group, I like to feel that we have the right energy, and today I think we did our job, especially while we had the players in the right positions. The proof of that is that it took Sporting Lisbon 20 minutes to come back from the locker room, and that's very interesting.”

Second card for Alberto Costa?
“The second foul warrants a card, but the truth is that before that there was a foul on William Gomes in front of the bench and the first card shown to Alberto wasn't even a foul.”

Will Sporting Lisbon get away with it?
“We'll see tomorrow.”

Suárez punished?
“I have no specific desire. I don't believe there will be impunity. The images are clear. During the game, they can be difficult to analyse, but afterwards there is no doubt. There are rules and we have to respect them.”

Positive aspects to take away
“We have to leave here with the right energy because we played a good game. The second half was different, but when we finished the game with the players in good spirits, and even so we only conceded a penalty against the best attack in the league, that says a lot about our performance. My impression is that the whole game was towards one side of the field, we were dominant and recovered a lot of balls. During the 20-minute break, they tried to find a suitable solution. I have nothing to say about Sporting Lisbon's quality, but I think we played a good game and I take away good energy.”

The state of refereeing
“I'm not talking about conditioning. The problem lies in the details of the game and the poor management of cards. It's always difficult to play away. Now we have to focus on the League and the Europa League, only then will we think about the Cup again.”