After a dramatic victory over Czech Republic in their opening game of the European Championship, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez praised his team’s fighting spirit, saying they “showed incredible personality.”
Speaking to Portuguese national television after the game, Martinez said: “In football, these things happen: One team attacks, another defends. Czech Republic did not want to control the game, our pressing forced them to sit deep. Today’s game is not one to assess from a tactical, technical or physical point of view. We won because we showed resilience, will and belief. It’s a value of the dressing room to give everything for Portugal, we showed incredible personality, which was crucial for winning the game.”
Regarding Gonçalo Inácio’s winning goal off the bench, Martinez believes it shows the importance of the team being a unit. Martinez said: “Our preparations have been meaningful, I think all 26 players deserve to start, they deserve to fight here. Today’s victory is for the team, it’s a collective win. Gonçalo’s goal? He’s always looking at the goal, focused. He has a good eye for goals, and that was exactly the spark we needed today.”
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