In the early hours of July 6th, Portugal was eliminated from the 2024 European Championship after a penalty shootout loss to France in the quarter-finals.
Following the match, Portugal manager Roberto Martínez commented, “This is a sad moment because the players have given their all and done everything we’ve trained for over the past weeks. The locker room is filled with sadness, our fans deserved joy, but we fell standing. We demonstrated the values of Portuguese football, with high possession. France is a dangerous team, but we defended well, with equality. The lack of goals was cruel. In the penalty shootout, we were unlucky.”
Martínez continued, “After this game, the locker room was filled with emotion. I am sure that the players will grow a lot from this match. We created many chances in the final third. This performance gives us pride for the future.”
Martínez also praised the veteran players, stating, “Pepe has been an example throughout the European Championship because of everything he does. As a coach, I am always focused on his performance on the pitch. Players like Gonçalo Inácio or António Silva will learn valuable lessons from this elimination. They will gain experience and the will to improve, always paying attention to Pepe’s performance.”
“The individual talent of this team is evident. They showed a spirit of unity, knowing how to withstand pressure and always striving for victory. We lost, but we did it with honor, giving everything every minute, which is very much in the Portuguese style. We won’t stop here. We will continue to move forward.”
Regarding the penalty shootout, Martínez stated, “We trained very well for penalties this week, but the ball hit the post and went out. That’s the difference. It’s not because of a lack of skill or preparation… it’s a matter of luck. That’s football.”
Addressing João Félix, who missed a penalty, Martínez said, “The locker room is united and is now helping the player who is going through this difficult moment. In a penalty shootout, only the ones who take the penalty can miss. What’s important is that we completed a very good training session and we must make the most of it, grow, and look ahead to the future after the European Championship. There is life after this match. We have to think about the attitude and support of the fans, it was a unique experience. We are sad because we wanted to make them happy, but we gave our all.”
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