Matisse – a young boy, not the painter – caused an internet sensation when he was captured on camera giving a hug to a tearful French football after the Euro 2016 final at the Stade de France. Defender Lucas Digne blew bubbles with his chewing gum as he waited.
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It didn’t seem to be going Portugal’s way in the ninth minute when Dimitri Payet’s right knee clattered into Ronaldo’s standing left leg. We believed in the people who taught us many things, with humility, union, sacrifice and desire.
France forward Antoine Griezmann was named player of the tournament on Monday after leading the Euro 2016 hosts to Sunday’s final where they lost to Portugal in extra time.
“CHAMPIONS! The greatest! Congratulations!” the former Inter Milan, Real and Barcelona star wrote.
Portugal’s sports press hailed the team with headlines including “Epic”, “Eternal” and “Pride of Portugal”.
France started the match as strong favourites after beating Germany 2-0 in the semi-final. “I really wanted to give them this trophy but couldn’t score”.
Victory also gave Ronaldo energy.
Portugal’s players frantically tended to Cristiano Ronaldo’s left knee but their tearful captain couldn’t withstand the pain any longer.
Portugal defended doggedly and threatened occasionally without their inspirational skipper.
With 109 minutes gone, Eder beat off a Laurent Koscielny challenge to fire a shot from outside the penalty area that French captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could not even get a hand to.
The first half was again dominated by the French, but Portugal got their breakthrough five minutes into the second half when Eder struck a shot from nearly 25 meters out to get the ball past Hugo Lloris’ extended arm, as the entire stadium erupted.
But he described France’s luck as “cruel” and added “one can always argue about the way they play, but they are efficient and you must congratulate them”.
The 25-year-old was the tournament’s top scorer with six goals – more than any player at one European Championship since Michel Platini hit nine in France’s 1984-winning campaign on home soil.
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France coach Didier Deschamps was as crestfallen as the fans and his players, having failed to make home advantage count like the teams of 1984 and 1998. “We’ve let a big chance to be champions pass us by”. And they achieved it by winning only one of their seven games at Euro 2016 inside 90 minutes.
