PORTUGAL CLAIM THEY’RE THE WORLD CUP UNDERDOGS
Portugal to carry same low-key mentality to Russia
LISBON: After finally breaking through with their first major title at the European Championship two years ago, Portugal will use the same formula at the World Cup.
The European champions will travel to Russia with many of the players from the squad that won Euro 2016, including Cristiano Ronaldo, and it will also carry the same low-key mentality they had when they succeeded in France.
“We are fully aware that we are not the favourites,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “History shows it, as do all the titles of the other teams that will be playing at the World Cup. Before the European Championship I also didn’t believe we were the favourites.”
Santos said Portugal can be considered a “candidate” for the title but they still shouldn’t be included among the top contenders despite being European champions.
“We have the same three or four teams that were favourites in the European Championship – Germany, Spain, France – and now we add Brazil and Argentina.
“These teams are the favourites, then there is a group of candidates in which we can naturally include Portugal,” he told Portuguese televi- sion channel RTP.
Portugal won their first major title in 2016 – after coming close a few other times in the Ronaldo era – by avoiding all those traditional favourites until the final against host France, when they won in extra time.
They played Hungary, Iceland and Austria in the group stage, then faced Croatia, Poland and Wales in the knockout matches.
Santos said this time he can make the same type of promise he made to the Portuguese people before the European Championship.
“We will give our best and we will be a contender to win every match,” he said. “I have the same confidence in my players and in my team that I had before the European Championship. We will have the same goal now that we had then.”
Nine of the players who started in the final against France are back with the World Cup team, with the only absences being veteran forward Nani and young midfielder Renato Sanches.
In total, 13 players from the Euro 2016 squad will be in Russia. Among those not going to Russia are Ricardo Carvalho, Andre Gomes and Eder, who scored the title-winning goal in the extra time against the hosts.
“It hurts not to be able to include all the players who were with us in the European Championship,” said Santos, who opted to add a few younger players to the World Cup squad.
“All of them helped us write a brilliant page in the history of Portuguese football.” — AP