João Mário

DARi0

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Benvenuto João Mário! :notbad:

I wish you good luck and many trophies won under our beloved shirt.

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Manchester United-Linked Joao Mario Could Be Summer's Top Central-Midfield Prize
By Sam Tighe , World Football Tactics - Apr 8, 2016

On April 8, 2016, Joao Mario collected the Primeira Liga’s Young Player of the Month award for March. It represented the third consecutive time he’d won it this season, prompting Portuguese football writer Jan Hagen to label his current form “flawless.”

At 23 years of age, some may consider him a little old to be winning the young iteration of the award—much like how many people sneered at James Milner scooping the 2010 PFA Young Player of the Year at age 24—and it’s true that Mario is not that young, nor a rookie, either. He broke into the Sporting setup midway through the 2013-14 season and has enjoyed two-and-a-half campaigns at the top level in Portugal.

But regardless, it’s crucial to acknowledge the large steps forward he has made over the last six months; it’s easy to see why A Bola (h/t Jan Hagen) has linked him with some of the world’s biggest clubs ahead of what promises to be a busy summer for the midfielder.

His time in the first-team has been an undoubted success, and under manager Jorge Jesus—signed from city rivals Benfica this summer just gone—Sporting have become a true beast this year. Bar a worrying wobble in February/March, in which they lost ground in the title race and fell out of Europe rather unceremoniously, they’ve been a machine-like presence in gaining victories. Mario has been a key cog in a relentless midfield.

He is the understated midfield maestro you better wish your club pursues this summer. His name doesn’t carry the glitz and glamour of a Thiago Alcantara or an Ilkay Gundogan, but it won’t be long before he’s rubbing shoulders with them and rivalling the best on the planet for world-class status.

If you set out to build your perfect box-to-box midfielder in a laboratory, you’d come out with something pretty damn close to this Portugal international. His physique is perfect for his role—ideal height, a muscular frame and legs that allow both bursts of quickness and longer sprints—and he uses his body with the aggression required to win a midfield battle and set the tone for dominance.

His ever-lasting stamina allows him to play an all-action role for a full 90 minutes, steaming about the pitch to intercept, tackle and then break forward at speed. In terms of raw energy provided, it’s arguable he can’t be topped by many players across the continent.

He makes good decisions on the ball, varying between keeping things appropriately simple and embarking on mazy runs or digging out inch-perfect cross-field passes. He’s no Hollywood passer in the sense that he’s not constantly switching play with 50-yard dimes, but he has an exceptionally accurate pass in his locker that will occasionally come out if the time is right.
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His production in front of goal has improved with every campaign to pass, raising the combined total of goals and assists year on year. His two strikes against Arouca this weekend were the perfect encapsulation of what type of goal he is likely to score: They were both from about 18 yards out—one derived from clever anticipatory positioning on a counter, the other from finding a pocket of space just outside the box.

He’s also reasonably two-footed. While clearly favouring the right (most of his goals are scored with this foot), he’s been seen to whip a wonderful 30-yard pass in behind the defence to find a runner with his left. This duality to his game makes him rather difficult to track and close down; you can show many players to their weaker side, but Mario has a Plan B that few others can boast.

Record (h/t Jan Hagen) suggested Sporting will be under siege this summer as clubs circle for their starlets, but the outlet also said Mario is the only one Jesus will insist on keeping.

Mario isn’t the only one who will interest suitors—William Carvalho, Adrien, Paulo Oliveira and Islam Slimani have all turned heads for the right reasons this season, too—but he is the rhythmic heartbeat of this impressive, hard-working side.

Sporting fans will argue Mario can wait a year before moving, but UEFA Euro 2016 might just accelerate any career trajectory thought to have been mapped out for the 23-year-old. He now has eight caps for Portugal and demonstrated value and skill in his country’s friendly against Belgium during the recent international break; his best moment, an explosive run down the right and superb cross across the face of goal for Andre Gomes, saw him beat Radja Nainggolan for athleticism and then deliver a chance on a platter afterward.

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The aforementioned A Bola report suggests Atletico are at the front of the queue for Mario, but there are teams out there where he may flourish more obviously and more quickly; Manchester City, who need a midfield rebuild, is one, and their cross-town rivals Manchester United are another.

His box-to-box nature would suit Luis Enrique’s new-style Barcelona (though Ivan Rakitic and Sergi Roberto fulfil his role), while he could provide a boost to Real Madrid’s midfield, becoming the latest Portuguese export to frequent the Santiago Bernabeu.

Projecting him to such a calibre of club is revealing of his talent. The gargantuan strides he has made forward over the last nine months have the Portuguese rightly excited, and if you’re a club in need of a central midfielder but miss out on Gundogan or fail to lure Paul Pogba, sign Mario—he’ll light it up, just as he has done with every stage presented to him thus far.

Brilliant analysis, Sam! While Renato Sanches has understandably been getting all of the headlines (he's been outstanding!), Joao Mario has consistently been the best midfielder in Portugal this season. While he prefers to operate as an attack-minded #8 in a three-man midfield, he has primarily been utilized as a winger in a narrow-4-4-2 for both club and country this season. However, while Joao Mario is quite mobile and is an excellent crosser of the ball, he is by no means an orthodox winger. In fact, he is most effective when he is given the license to roam.

He is particularly adept and creating and exploiting pockets of space in between the lines with his clever movement and link-up play. He also has the vision, tactical discipline, and passing range to operate in a much deeper role. Therefore given his particular skill set -- extremely high football IQ, superb technique, and incredible versatility -- I think he would absolutely thrive under the guidance of Pep Guardiola an Man City.

{ POLL any1? }
 
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Sassuolu

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Absolutely drooling after seeing that

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 

vitomins

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Pharaoh

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I'm choosing to be optimistic.
 

DARi0

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Absolutely drooling after seeing that
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Sporting announced on Saturday that they will receive a club record €45m for the 23-year-old – a fee that equals the highest amount received for a player by a Primeira Liga club, set when Monaco signed James Rodriguez from Porto in 2013.

Joao Mario joined Sporting at the age of 11 after a spell with Porto and progressed through their highly respected youth academy before making his debut in a Europa League defeat to Lazio in 2011.

And he was eager to pay tribute to everyone at the club.

"Where to start...," he wrote on his official Instagram page. "A wonderful 14 years that I won't forget, no matter what happens!

"At this time, only the word 'thanks' comes to mind. I thank Sporting for everything they did for me. From my first day, I knew I had made the right choice, and I thank all the people who were part of this story.

"To all the directors, all the coaches I have had, all the people who worked for years at the academy, I say THANK YOU! You will all be in my heart, like all the sportinguistas.

"From today, I am more of a fan who will cheer on Sporting, and it starts tomorrow!

"Thanks to Inter for this opportunity and for all the affection I have had during today. I'm eager to start."


@joaome17 back with #Inter after international duty.
 

Ronaldo

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I usually don't vote high but I really have high hopes for this kid and that's why I voted 8.

Don't let me down!
 

M.Adnan

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I voted 8 because that's what I'm expecting him to be based on his massive price. Anything less and I will call him a failure like Kondo. Now please be good and don't let us down.
 

Il Drago

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Joao Mario on loan at Inter
By Football Italia staff

Joao Mario joined Inter on loan, the Lega Serie A confirms, helping the Nerazzurri with Financial Fair Play.

The midfielder has moved to San Siro from Sporting CP, in a deal which is thought to be worth around €45m.

That raised questions about how the Beneamata would comply with their FFP obligations, but the official transfer listing on the Lega site confirms Joao Mario is on loan.

Inter will still have an obligation to buy the Portuguese international at the end of the season, but that will be counted as part of next summer’s spend.

While the Nerazzurri will still be paying out €45m, all that will be deducted this season is the cost of the loan, thought to be around €5m.
 

KevinB

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I can see it happening that next season we'll be searching for a club to take over the 45m clause and his wage

:eek:blivious:
 

Ronaldo

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Don't worry, he is not Jovetic.
 

Inter7

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Joao Mario on loan at Inter
By Football Italia staff

Joao Mario joined Inter on loan, the Lega Serie A confirms, helping the Nerazzurri with Financial Fair Play.

The midfielder has moved to San Siro from Sporting CP, in a deal which is thought to be worth around €45m.

That raised questions about how the Beneamata would comply with their FFP obligations, but the official transfer listing on the Lega site confirms Joao Mario is on loan.

Inter will still have an obligation to buy the Portuguese international at the end of the season, but that will be counted as part of next summer’s spend.

While the Nerazzurri will still be paying out €45m, all that will be deducted this season is the cost of the loan, thought to be around €5m.

This is Incorrect confirmed the Lega fucked up LOL

http://www.football-italia.net/90646/joao-mario-not-loan-inter
 

Demenza Senile

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Don't worry, he is not Jovetic.


I do not share this same exuberance sadly.

I am sure the majority of us were very happy when we signed Jovetic and most of us were confident he would be a success in the Serie A because of his Viola tenure.The only thing that probably caused us consternation was his susceptibility to injuries.Nobody would have thought we would be so desperate to get rid of him like this.

I feel like there is an ex post facto recognition/over hyping of Wow Mario's footballing disposition since the Euros.I, for one, hadn't noticed him till the final match once we had been linked with him[ I agree I hadn't watched the Portugal games with much interest before that but still].These were a very lucky Euros for Portugal and they only won 1 match in regulation the whole tournament.For me their best players were Fonte and Pepe and they were a team not based on keeping the ball but counter attacking to Cristiano's strength.De Boer is likely to demand a more possession style game.

I am hopeful he is a success with us but I have my doubts at the same time.He is young and is said to have been successful in Portugal but I believe the Portuguese league hasn't had the same talent and competition these last few years.His price is based entirely on the Euros.I am hoping he justifies it but I wouldn't be surprised if this goes the Kondogbia way.I would love to be wrong ofcourse.Anyway welcome Wow Mario!
 

thatdude

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I agree with everything raiden said except that his price is based solely off the Euros. He did have a very good season last years nobody who watched him debates that.
 

JJM

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He is shit,sell him :pajo:
 

Wallace

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Welcome Super Mario, all the best.

I have voted a 1 for antijinx purposes.
 

JJM

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DARi0

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His price is based entirely on the Euros.I am hoping he justifies it but I wouldn't be surprised if this goes the Kondogbia way.I would love to be wrong ofcourse.Anyway welcome Wow Mario!
+interest, for us paying in 3 year installments :D

Kondogbia can still turn out to be good, eventually... right? :eek:blivious:
 

Inter7

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@raiden I watched the final knowing he was our target and I'd say probably one of his best matches. It was not a stat that stuck out to me but more so his off the ball movement and awareness. For our team that's huge. Movement at Inter has been fucked since mourinho left.
 

Ed.

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Welcome Super Mario, all the best.

I have voted a 1 for antijinx purposes.

you don't say it though.. if you say it out.. it becomes the antijinx for the antijinx.
 
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