Jota Silva: 'I really wanted to play for Sporting. It hurt'

From humble beginnings at Sousense in the Porto regional leagues, Jota Silva fought his way up the Portuguese football pyramid with spells at Espinho, Leixões, Casa Pia, and Vitória de Guimarães. It was during his time with the Minho outfit that he earned his first senior cap for Portugal, eventually securing a move to Premier League side Nottingham Forest. In the summer of 2025, he was just 60 seconds away from completing a switch to Sporting CP. Instead, he headed to Besiktas and now plies his trade for Olympiakos. 

— How have your first few months in Greece been?

— Very good, both on the pitch and in my personal life. I adapted really quickly. I was fortunate to walk into a fantastic dressing room at Olympiakos. Everyone helped me feel at home right away. The fact that we've had positive results and started the season well definitely made things easier from the get-go.

— How did the move to Olympiakos come about at this stage of your career?

— It felt like the right step. It gives me the chance to play for a massive club—undoubtedly the biggest in Greece—fight for trophies, compete in Europe, and get regular playing time. That consistency was something I missed during my time at Besiktas last season. It's an incredible opportunity given the stature of the club, what it represents, and the chance to shine domestically and in European competition.

— Looking back a year, what was it like in those final moments when the move to Sporting fell through? How did you feel?

— Today, I look back on it with complete acceptance. That's just football. I think it made headlines because it collapsed with barely a minute to spare, but transfers fall through all the time. Given how it played out, it will always stick in the memory and be talked about. It was a tough period, and I won't deny it: at the time, I was desperate to sign for Sporting. Sporting really wanted me too, and I was eager to reunite with manager Rui Borges. The opportunity arose, and all parties tried to get it over the line. Sporting, Nottingham Forest, and I all wanted the best deal possible. Everyone had my best interests at heart, I'm certain of that. Nobody intended to hurt me, but these things happen in football. It hurt. The initial blow is always hard to take, but I picked myself up and went straight into training the next day because life goes on. If it didn't happen, it simply wasn't meant to be.

— How did that situation affect your family? A return to Portugal was an appealing prospect, and then Turkey came into the picture... How did you handle that sudden shift?

— I won't hide that coming back to Portugal at that stage of our lives was significant. Rita and I were looking to start a family, so being in Portugal and close to our loved ones would have been ideal. When you believe something is about to happen, you start making plans. When it collapsed, we had to adjust on the fly. That said, the people by my side—my wife, my newborn son, my parents, and my closest friends—know this is the reality of my profession. They have to be ready to adapt at a moment's notice, and that's exactly what happened.

— You mentioned wanting to work with Rui Borges again. Have you two spoken about the situation since?

— I've spoken with him just as I do with many managers from my past with whom I formed a strong bond. We keep in touch fairly regularly, but we don't bring up that transfer anymore.

— How do you evaluate the job he has done at Sporting?

— I don't like getting too caught up in analyzing those things. Last season, FC Porto were well-deserved champions—they were clearly the standout team in Portugal. But putting that aside, the gaffer's work speaks for itself: he came in, won the league title, lifted the Portuguese Cup, and enjoyed a fantastic Champions League run. He possesses tremendous quality; otherwise, he wouldn't be managing Sporting. I'm truly thrilled for him as both a coach and a person. He always looked out for me. He is a top manager.