After a sudden departure from Olympique Lyonnais, Fonseca became the new head coach of Sporting CP. At his introductory press conference, Fonseca revealed details of a conversation he had with Rui Borges, and spoke about how things ended at his former club, Milan.
On former Sporting CP coach Rui Borges
Fonseca said: "We did speak on the phone. I remember that at the time, rumors were just beginning to circulate that Rui had refused to talk to me. Yesterday, I was delighted to speak with him. It was a very frank and open conversation between two coaches who understand what moments like these mean, without any pretense.
"We talked for a long time, and the atmosphere was very pleasant. We expressed great respect and admiration for each other, which I have also said publicly before. I spoke not only with Rui but also briefly with his assistant coach, Tiago, whom I have known for many years. Sometimes things that are perfectly normal can still stir up controversy."
On Milan
To illustrate his point, Fonseca recounted the end of his time at Milan, when he was abruptly replaced by Sérgio Conceição.
Fonseca said: "I can tell you about this. I was still Milan's coach, and we were playing against Roma, while the coach who would replace me had already been chosen by the club (referring to Conceição).
"The next day, I had to hastily clear out my office and locker, because the new head coach wanted to move in. Nobody even called me, though there was no real need for it either.
"In football, this kind of situation is part of the game, and I'm not angry about it. We have to accept that these transitions are very natural."