According to reports, France had got an open-top bus at the ready for the victory procession but the party poopers from Portugal stole a march on them.
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The result ended Portugal’s run of 10 straight defeats against France, who had eliminated them in the semifinals at Euro 1984, Euro 2000 and the 2006 World Cup.
Portugal had enough warriors on the field to win the war of attrition after losing their general.
Dimitri Payet has denied claims he deliberately injured Cristiano Ronaldo during the Euro 2016 final before Portugal went on to win their first major honour in his absence at the Stade de France.
With Deschamps nearly certain to remain as coach for 2018 World Cup qualification, Les Bleus will be a good bet to make another deep run in Eastern Europe in two years’ time and perhaps go all the way this time. “I do not agree with this choice”, Leboeuf said.
“Swansea are a nice club with nice people, but things just didn’t develop in the way I wanted to on the pitch”, he added.
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.
Ronaldo had been on the field before extra time encouraging his team mates and goalscorer Eder said had made an impact.
Watch the heartwarming moment a young Portugal fan consoles a distraught France supporter after the Euro 2016 final. They always give man of the match to the player who scored, too.
The 31-year-old also said on social media that he was due to begin his holidays but there has yet to be any confirmation of the extent of the knee injury that saw him substituted early in Sunday’s final.
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He had called Portugal the “ugly duckling” side of the tournament.
