Estoril had just lost 3-1 to Sporting at Alvalade, but Ian Cathro was in an incredibly positive mood in his post-match news conference.
“Can I put a question to you?” he asked a journalist in native-level Portuguese the last time the team from the Lisbon coast faced Sporting away, in March 2025.
“What type of football do you like to watch? Did you enjoy the game? Probably you were all around here in other matches and I assume you fell asleep [at some point]. We want to do things differently.”
That night, despite the result, at times Estoril, who play in a 5,000-capacity stadium, managed to silence more than 35,000 home fans.
Cathro couldn’t have been prouder to witness it.
On Friday, the 39-year-old Scottish coach will be heading…