I only have words of praise for the boys

Paulo Sousa: "Both training camps met the expectations. We played against serious opponents, and against clubs that play at a higher level than us. We have closed the gap in the level between us and them, thanks to the hard work that went in during training and the friendly matches. This was the most important factor to emerge from both the Spanish and Turkish training camps. The players spent more than a month away from their homes and loved ones. However, despite this, they were very enthusiastic and worked hard, and I can only give them words of praise for this. The players have a fantastic mentality, and they are more professional than ever before. I did feel sometimes that the players missed the supporters, and the atmosphere at the Sostoi stadium. We played on pitches that were worse than our own, but this is all part of the experience. I hope that what we gained can be used to help us in the championship, and our mentality in everyday work."