The France coach admitted there were “no words” to express his disappointment at the 1-0 defeat, with the winning goal scored deep into extra-time as a penalty shoot-out was looming.
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“You are the best in Europe!” the head of state told the victorious team, decorating them with Commander of Order of Merit medals.
AFTER SO MANY near-misses, Portugal finally holds an worldwide trophy, and the country is determined to enjoy the moment, welcoming the victorious Euro 2016 team back to Lisbon in spectacular fashion.
France started the match as strong favourites after beating Germany 2-0 in the semi-final.
Ronaldo was stretchered off in tears in the first half and limped on crying with joy again after his side delivered the final knock-out blow in the month-long tournament of upsets.
The French fan, clearly taken aback by the little boy’s kind gesture, stopped him once more to give him a high five and a hug. Portugal’s coach Fernando Santos and the other players paid tribute to Ronaldo’s role in urging the team not to give up in the tense match at the Stade de France. For a man who has achieved so much in his career, his efforts showed how strong his desire to win a major global trophy was. “But I always said we are a team, we win as a team”. The stage was set for Antoine Griezmann and his teammates to lead France to a third major tournament triumph on home soil. We could even say that to some extent, the tournament reflects the country on a social and economic level.
“The disappointment is there and it’s huge”, Deschamps said after the 1-0 defeat on Sunday.
Riot police take positions near the Eiffel Tower in Paris during clashes with young troublemakers during the Euro 2016 final soccer match.
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After Denmark beat Germany in Gothenburg in 1992 and Greece beat Portugal in Lisbon in 2004, the Portuguese have now pulled off a huge European Championship shock under Santos’ guidance.
