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 back to Alvalade hoping to achieve the same, albeit with a better outcome on the pitch.
His Estoril side are one of the most exciting teams to watch in Portugal, averaging two goals per game with 46 in 23 matches, the fourth most, and more than league leaders FC Porto (44).
Along with Sporting, they’ve had the most games scoring four or more this campaign (six). For the second consecutive season, a team used to fighting relegation finds itself comfortably in the top half of the table, albeit having conceded 39 goals.
The club’s record top-flight points tally of 54, achieved in the 2013-14 season, when they recorded their best finish of fourth, is perhaps out of reach this term given they are on 33 with 11 games remaining, but even Benfica boss Jose Mourinho admitted being impressed by Cathro, saying “he’s leaving his mark”.
The Scotsman’s secret? As he always emphasises, they play with no fear, regardless of the opponent.
“I’m young, but I’ve already been through a lot, in a lot of places. I think I’ve already seen almost every film you can see in a career in this industry,” Cathro tells BBC Sport.
“I’m not here trying to win five games in a row just to make the jump. I look at this project and I genuinely feel my responsibility is to help the club take a step to another level. And that other level is more stability, so that no one – absolutely no-one – is afraid anymore.”
The recognition for that is certainly coming.
In January, Cathro was voted the Portuguese top flight’s coach of the month by his peers.
