Ricardo Granada, a journalist for Lisbon-based sports newspaper Diário Record, gives us the lowdown on what we can expect from João Palhinha this season.
How would you describe João as a player?
João grew in the Sporting CP formation as a typical number six/defensive midfielder, but added more to his bag over the course of the last few years. He knows how to impose his physique on the field, since that with his height he wins a lot of defensive duels and scores some goals in set-pieces, and is also aggressive in tackling and retrieving the ball. He is not particularly fast, but can quickly cover a lot of ground. Those aspects were very clear in these last two years in Sporting, because the team only played with two central midfielders and João could hold up the midfield when the other player made runs in the attack. Although I would say that what impressed me the most was his evolution in passing, that was something he lacked when he was younger. He now has vision on the pitch and often makes good long balls.
Do you feel this is a good time for him to move to the Premier League?
Well, for João’s career I think that it comes at the perfect time. Actually, I thought – and that was very spoken about here in Portugal – that the move would happen earlier, in the summer of 2021 or in the last January transfer window. He was one of the main players in the recent success that Sporting had, then reached the Portuguese national team and now this is a natural step for him. Obviously, Sporting is one of the main teams in Portugal and had a good run in the last edition of the Champions League, but I knew of the desire that João had for a move to the Premier League. He told me, in an interview in 2020, that it is his dream league to play in it. So I’m glad that with Fulham he can accomplish that, because he deserves it.
What did you, and the Portuguese media, make of his transfer to Fulham?
We followed this ‘saga’ since the beginning and it was very clear to us from the start that Fulham would be one of the main candidates to get Palhinha. Because, aside from what I said about his dream with the Premier League, he knows Marco Silva and I’m sure has his confidence. When Marco was the coach of Sporting, in the 2014/15 season, João was in Sporting’s B team and would often train with the main squad. So, I’m certain that he can take from João his best qualities.
How good a signing is he for Fulham?
I think Fulham made a very good deal and for a very reasonable price. I remember that a year/a year and a half ago he was highly rated, after he won the Championship with Sporting and played in the Euros, and the asking price of Sporting was a lot higher. Financial subjects aside, Fulham gets one of the best defensive midfielders in Portugal and adds an anchor to the midfield. I’m certain that the fans that don’t know João will agree with me at the end of the season.
He hasn’t played outside Portugal before, how do you think he will adapt to English football?
Well, better than me, João answered that question in the interview that he gave me a couple of years ago. He said: “Given my characteristics and the recognition I give to all the European leagues, the Premier League was the one that I would like the most and where I see myself playing the most.” Given that it is a physical and competitive league, those are the same qualities that João has. It’s true that he never played outside Portugal before, but he has international experience with clubs (Champions League) and with the national team.
As you've interviewed him, can you tell us what he is like as a person?
As I’m sure you already noticed, João is a very down to earth guy and very likeable. I think that the fact that he was one of the captains of Sporting says it all. He knows how to lead the team. At 26 – he turns 27 tomorrow – that is a very important quality to have. And I have to say that he is a very resilient player. Just a quick example of that: he played his first game in the Sporting main squad in the 2016/17 season, but then was cut from the team, something that was very tough for him, and went on loan to Braga (two years). When he came back, everybody thought that he would be sold and he spent some time training by himself. Then CSKA Moscow came and he was very close to being sold – his career could have been completely different. But then the new coach of Sporting, Rúben Amorim, whom he had worked with in Braga, held him in the team, gave him the confidence that he needed, and in that season he went from being dispensable to a starter.
He has spoken about his relationship with Marco Silva and Luis Boa Morte – how important is that?
Very important, no doubt about that. Having two coaches that he knows and that have trust in his game will be fundamental to release his best abilities. And above that, the fact that Marco Silva and Luís Boa Morte are both Portuguese will be important to his adaptation to England and his first experience playing outside Portugal.
How important is João to the national team?
I wouldn’t say he is an established starter, but João is a regular in the lists of the Portuguese national team coach, Fernando Santos, over the last few years, especially since the Euros. Fulham gets a player with international experience in that matter (14 games with Portugal) and I’m sure he will count a lot more with this move to England.
