Afonso Sousa had to struggle with a lot of expectations from the beginning of his stay at Bulgarska Street. “Kolejorz” won the fight for him on the transfer market with Raków Częstochowa. It cost EUR 1.2 million – it is Lech’s most expensive move together with Adriel Ba Loua. In Poznań, he was to replace Pedro Tiba, who left the club after the contract expired. It was Tiba who was the leader of the second line of Poznań residents for years.
The autumn round performed by the 22-year-old was almost forgettable. Suffice it to say that in the group stage of the Europa Conference League, he played only a minute, which, given the poor form of Joao Amaral, the main attacking midfielder last season, was inexplicable to fans or experts, because Sousa could be an added value for the team whenever he was given opportunities from John van den Brom. The coach of the Polish champions argued that the player needed time to physically reach the level of Lech and the Ekstraklasa.
Perhaps the main reason for hiding the Portuguese in the European competition was the rematch with Vikingur Reykjavik in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. “Kolejorz” needed extra time to eliminate the semi-amateur club from Iceland. Sousa missed a penalty and, although he scored a minute later, was booed by the frustrated crowd.
Afonso Sousa enters the expected level. “I have a feeling he’s capable of much more”
A ray of hope for the 22-year-old’s development were the single moments he gave in the fall. He scored two goals, which brought Lech three points with Piast and Warta. Two goals by Afonso Sousa also gave the Polish champions a draw in the recent hit at Łazienkowska against Legia (2:2). It was a summary of the very good weeks performed by the Portuguese, which was confirmed a few days later in the rematch away in Florence. The 22-year-old opened the score of the match, which the Polish champions won 3:2 and said goodbye to Europe with honor.
“In the beginning, he needed time to settle in, but also to get a feel for the league and the team. The level reached in the spring is certainly an added value for Lech. He is still a young boy and I have a feeling that he can do much more – says Sport.pl Mariusz Rumak, a former coach of Lech Poznań, with whom he won the Polish runners-up twice.
Originally, at the expense of the Portuguese, Joao Amaral received more minutes, who was successively removed from the team in the following months. However, it was mainly Filip Marchwiński who gained from this. Lech’s alumnus became a basic player in the key position of an attacking midfielder. The 20-year-old had good performances – he scored against Djurgarden – but it was not enough. At the moment, Afonso Sousa shares are at their highest.
Sousa has an advantage over Marchwiński and Amaral. “How could we let him go?” they wonder in Portugal
“Each of these players is a different type when it comes to number 10. The big plus of Afonso Sousa is that he can play at “10” and “8,” depending on what the team needs – says Rumak. – If you try to play with two strikers, and there were such moments with Ishak and Szymczak, then such an eight under them is needed because he can play. He can be creative and create space for himself with the party itself. What characterizes him is definitely the ability to score goals. The fact that in Florence that ball landed there and he was there is no coincidence. It definitely builds him up.
The 22-year-old was also built by the goals scored during the March training camp of the Portuguese U-21 national team. He hit in the competition with Romania and Norway, but most importantly – in both of these matches he was the basic player of a strong youth team. – This also shows what stage Lech is at. This is a club worth coming to even from Portugal, playing in youth teams, and the U-21 selector reaches for a Lech Poznań player. Anyway, “Kolejorz” is a quarter-finalist of the Conference League, so why not? These goals in the national team certainly gave him confidence and strengthened him in the national team, but also in Lech – says our interlocutor. Sousa presented himself so well in the national team that the fans of FC Porto, whose hometown he is, wondered why he came to Poland. “How did Porto let a player like Afonso Sousa escape?” – we read on Twitter.
Premier League clubs are more and more willing to sign players from the Iberian Peninsula. The Spaniards, who came from the lower leagues in their country and became the stars of the league – eg Carlitos, Jesus Imaz or Ivi Lopez – were joined by the Portuguese. In Legia, Josue is the captain and the most important player, and the core of Lech is also built around players from this nation. The leaders were Tiba or Amaral, now they are Pereira and Rebocho, and Afonso Sousa has more and more to say on and off the pitch. This is certainly material for a star of the top league, but also a diamond that Lech can sell with a large profit.
2023-04-26 04:49:00
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