“I’ve just lost my second final in just over a month and it sucks”, Griezmann told reporters after Les Bleus lost 1-0 in extra-time to Ronaldo’s Portugal in the European Championship final on Sunday.
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After suffering a strong challenge from Dimitri Payet in the opening 20 minutes of the match, Ronaldo was eventually brought off despite his valiant effort to continue on having taken a knock to his knee.
As jubilant Portugal players celebrated around them, Real Madrid and Portugal teammates Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo fell into one another’s arms at the Stade de France, pressed their foreheads together and wept tears of joy. I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004.
“Portugal … in this campaign has been relying on Ronaldo, but we showed the rest of the world that without Ronaldo we could also be champions and champions of Europe”, he said.
“We went through a hard spell after Ronaldo’s injury, because he’s the best player in the world and an important player for us”.
“They have quality and ability, along with our coach’s strategy to win”.
“This is one of the happiest moments in my career, I always said I’d like to win something with Portugal”, declared Ronaldo.
“Today I had bad luck because I had a small injury in the beginning of the teams, but my colleagues did their part – they run, they fight. nobody believed in Portugal but we won”, Ronaldo said.
“I want to give my thanks to everyone in the group, the staff and the Portuguese people”.
“Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal”, Eder said. The coach set us up very well and the subs came on at the right time too.
“We knew we were on the pitch representing an entire nation, Portugal”, the centre-back said after the match.
“We’ve managed to write an important page in the history of our country”.
“He gave me strength and positive energy”.
France were hoping to win a record-equalling third European Championship, after previous successes in 1984 and 2000. It’s cruel to lose the final like that.
Paris: Football threw up another unlikely hero on Sunday when journeyman professional Eder scored the goal that won Euro 2016 for Portugal.
“We weren’t clinical enough, we weren’t cool-headed enough. I think that that’s it – it’s done”.
“Anyway the way Cristiano spoke to us and reached the lads, motivating them, in the changing room and in the dugout … he believed that tonight was going to be our night”.
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“Since the first day (I thought my opportunity would come)”, he said. I’m very disappointed for them.
