I heard wild reactions to Sporting Lisbon drubbing - it sent Man City a clear Hugo Viana message

It took 45 minutes for Sporting's dream to be crushed.

As if conceding four first-half goals inside your own stadium wasn't bad enough, to be destroyed by a clutch of players celebrated by your biggest rivals made it even worse. Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Ederson and Joao Cancelo were booed and whistled every time they touched the ball but that only made them enjoy the drubbing even more.

Having battled through a group containing Ajax and Dortmund to make the Champions League knockouts for the first time in over a decade, Sporting were thumped 5-0 by Manchester City in February 2022 with any hopes of further progression brutally cut short with three-quarters of the tie still to go. As the game entered its final minutes, the home fans let the club know exactly what they thought of it.

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The scarves twirled in the air as the supporters inside the Jose Alvalade Stadium bounced and sang to show how appreciative they were of the effort that had brought them to this point. As Sporting players went through the final motions of their defeat, beyond full-time and until they left the pitch, the response was rapturous.

"I've never seen anything like it," coach Ruben Amorim said afterwards. "I think people are aware of the differences [between the clubs], they know the team is giving its best.

"This was all reflected in those last three minutes. We knew this was going to be a difficult game against probably the best team in the world. I think we got in well but then we conceded a goal.

"We still tried but every time Manchester City came in our box they scored. It just shows how great they are but I'm very proud of my players. After the third goal it becomes suffering and is no longer football but I'm very proud of our players and our fans."

It wasn't Sporting's night, but the fans celebrated everything that had gone into producing it. From a position in 2018 where angry fans tore into the club training ground and attacked players that led to a host of the squad ripping up their contracts, it had been a dreamy four years.

Hugo Viana, who will succeed Txiki Begiristain at City in 2025, had a baptism of fire starting his job as sporting director at Sporting in those circumstances but he rebuilt. There was intelligent player recruitment and a bold decision taken in 2020 to spend €10m to bring Braga manager Amorim to the club.

A league title came the next year, and while they finished runners-up in 2022 they still claimed 85 points. Amorim and Viana had created something special that resonated with supporters.

There was uncertainty around Guardiola's future at City even before Begiristain's exit was confirmed and will be until his intentions are clear. As Blues wonder over what comes next, Viana has already shown he can help create a team worth cheering for.