We have continued to grow as a team in the last seven weeks and this togetherness, which made us strong in Brazil two years ago, has done the same again here in France. “We have done what we have to do”.
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“I don’t have to praise Cristiano Ronaldo, everybody knows him and knows he’s up there”. I’m very proud as a coach and proud of my players – it’s not that I’m not happy personally but it’s mainly for the players.
“We generate passion and fervour, we can see that”.
They also overcame them in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, before losing on penalties to Italy in what was their last major tournament final. But in between being pretty and being at home, or ugly and being here, I prefer to be ugly.
Host nation France may be the favourites to beat Portugal in Sunday’s Euro 2016 final but Joao Mario insists the underdogs can overcome past results and upset the odds.
“Would I like us to be pretty?” The 2016 side is short on super stars.
France have twice beaten Portugal en route to Euro success, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane netting extra-time winners in the semi-finals of the 1984 and 2000 tournaments. He did the same with Greece in 2012 when they reached the quarter-finals and in 2014 when he took them to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.
If he can produce a top-level performance, Portugal have a genuine chance to upset the odds and win a major tournament for the first time.
After conceding three against Hungary, Santos altered his backline, bringing in Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares for their first starts of the tournament.
“He has always been fantastic on the ball but even when he first joined United in 2003 he was great in the air too”, he said.
It is Griezmann, however, who has captured imaginations at the Euro and he provided another exhibition of his talents with a brace in the 2-0 semi-final win over Germany.
He was widely ridiculed for accusing Iceland – population 330,000 – of having a “small mentality” after the 1-1 draw between the teams and then slammed a penalty against the post as Portugal drew 0-0 with Austria. “We were clinical, and Lloris was great when we needed him to be”, he said.
Of those “nine others” it is the back four and the goalkeeper that have stood out.
At the other end, Germany were sloppy with a string of chances in front of goal while Schweinsteiger fired over from range.
The 22-year-old left-back has impressed at Euro 2016 after playing just once in Portugal’s eight-match qualifying program.
“We need to be careful about Portugal because they have Cristiano Ronaldo”, Karembeu told Omnisport.
Considering it’s got them this far, Portugal are unlikely to abandon their game plan in Sunday’s final against France. We actually had more of the game and should have won…
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Asked if Sunday’s match would be the most important game in his career, Deschamps said: “When I accepted this job, it was not just to take part, it was to live moments like this one”.
