The smoke from the European Championship has not yet dissipated, but for Portugal, the journey has come to an abrupt end.
After losing to France, an old Portuguese warrior cried, but this time it wasn’t Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead, the football legend became the most solid support in the face of his teammate’s sadness.
The Portugal vs. France European Championship quarter-final ultimately ended in the cruel way of a penalty shootout. When the final whistle blew, 41-year-old Pepe, the veteran who is still fighting for his country, could not hold back his inner sorrow, tears streaming down his face. Cristiano Ronaldo comforted Pepe after the match.
“Football, sometimes it’s just too cruel,” Pepe said in a post-match interview, his voice choked with emotion.
Facing the camera, Pepe was reluctant to reveal what Cristiano Ronaldo had said to him, “I won’t disclose it publicly, but we are deeply affected, far beyond what many people imagine. We are frustrated for not winning the match, we are sad for failing on such an important stage, because we know we could have gone further. That’s the pain we feel.”
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez also expressed his helplessness about the outcome: “These tears are a direct reflection of our inability to accept the result. When we face stronger opponents, maybe there will be no tears, but this kind of ending is really hard to come to terms with.”
Regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s national team career, Martinez said that it was too early to discuss any decisions at the moment: “The situation is too sensitive now. We have just experienced failure as a collective, it’s not a good time to talk about individual choices.”
Pepe was also cautious about his future plans: “I will have the opportunity to talk about my future, I don’t want to talk about it now. Because tomorrow people may discuss my future instead of this match.”
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