'Focused' Patricio lauded by Nuno

BeSoccer 6 years ago 620
Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joined Wolves this summer. AFP

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has heaped praise on goalkeeper Rui Patricio for his ability to stay focused despite ongoing negotiations with Sporting CP over his transfer fee.

Patricio, 30, has been at the centre of a war of negotiations since leaving Lisbon alongside eight others, after disruption at the club's training ground. 

The Portuguese club spoke to FIFA and accused Patricio of breaching his contract, and despite him joining Wolves on a free transfer it now looks as if the Midlands side will have to pay £15m to Sporting. 

Nuno remarked: "He's a very mature player, a lot of experience and besides that, he's a man, he knows how to handle things.

"He can separate things and you must separate things - when you train, when you compete and all the matters which surround you, you have to go away from that and I think he can do it.

"He's doing his job, he's a goalkeeper and must prevent balls to go inside of the goal. He's doing a job and doing it well.

"As a club Wolves have excellent behaviour in this situation. Anything else will be said by the club."

Wolves and Nuno host Watford on Saturday, where they hope to continue their impressive form that sees them sit seventh in the league. 

The manager commented: "Hard work, the way the boys have been working since the beginning, has allowed us to see the team is improving.

"The expectations don't change. Now we think about tomorrow and the table doesn't mean anything to us at all.

"When they do well we say they do well and when they don't we work harder. We are the same group of people who want to go game-by-game."

Mentioned in the news story

Premier League
Sporting CP
Rui Patrício