Sporting and first. Moscaved is united in the growth of players

Miguel Veloso, Carlos Salero, Andre Marquez, Pereirinha and Fabio Paim have been loaned out by the Lions. Memories of nearly two decades told in the first person

On Saturday rivals, once allies. Sporting, Olivais and Moscafidi are the clubs whose relationship has always been a friendly one and even a partnership.

Let’s go back in time, almost two decades. A period in which a batch of youngsters emerged at Sporting who became junior champions, under the technical leadership of Paulo Bento (2004/2005), whose goal was to reach the main team. He recognized the qualities that would enable him to make this leap, but he needed some training. In this sense, Sporting and Olivais had a transfer protocol for players and many of them moved from the Second League to Moscaved, where, as part of the first team (between 2005 and 2007), they had opportunities to gain a competitive rhythm.

Ultimately, Sporting, Olivais and Moscafedi united in developing players who would stand out, return to their home country and even build an international career. In the case of Miguel Veloso, it was a change of heart. At Sporting he was a central defender, international at all youth levels, European Under-17 champion in 2003, and was in the senior. Moscaved, under the technical leadership of Rui Dias, in 2025/2006, in the former Second Division B – would-be champion – started playing as a midfielder, a position he has not left since.

It’s been a very positive six months for me. I saw it as a confidence boost for the club, as I grew up and had the opportunity to later join the main team.

Remember is to live

We now tell in the first person the memories of those who at that time thought that their move to Sporting was a step backwards, but despite their young age they understood the reason for the decision: growth!

“It’s been a very positive six months for me. I saw it as a confidence boost for the club, as I grew up and had the opportunity to later join the main team. I met colleagues from Sporting in Olivice and it was easier to integrate. As for the match, the Olivierz players will see it as the game of a lifetime, but no matter how much affection I have for Olivierz, I am rooting for Sporting to win.”

I admit that moving to Olivace at that time was not something I expected.

Carlos Salero had more difficulties facing the move, as he returned from an injury that led to him having to undergo two operations: “I admit that moving to Olivaz at that time was not something I expected. I was used to getting everything good and better at the academy, and at Moskaved the reality was different. But the adaptation was good and I learned a lot of positive things from this experience that were important for my training.

Regarding Saturday’s match, Salero leaves a warning: “It may be a dangerous match for Sporting. They must deal with it as if it were at the top so as not to be surprised.”

I realized it was to gain experience, I started to look at things differently, I was successful and came back to Sporting

Andre Marquez also has good memories of this stage of his career: “After these years, I realized that at that time, in my mind, loan was not a goal. But then I realized it was to gain experience, and I started to look at things differently, and I was successful and came back to Sporting. “The cup match will be intense, and if it was in Moscaved, Sporting would have had a bad time.”