A day after their exit from the European Championship, the national team delegation returned to Lisbon after a disappointing journey. The players’ faces were marked by the penalty shootout defeat to France, which prompted them to return home early. Despite this, the players were consoled by about 200 fans who headed to the capital’s airport in the late afternoon.
João Félix was the first player to emerge from the VIP exit at the airport, but he quickly took refuge on a bus that took the group to Cidade do Futebol. The rest of the group that made the journey followed him. This is because eight players travelled directly from Germany to other destinations. They were Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Diogo Dalot, Matheus Nunes, Bruno Fernandes and Palinha.
The athletes who left the airport quickly boarded a bus or the cars of waiting relatives or friends. There was applause, requests for autographs and selfies, but only a few players were willing to cooperate, namely Pepe, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo, as well as coach Roberto Martinez. Pepe was the one who was applauded and loved the most.
“I feel very emotional, it’s nice to receive all this affection. It’s at this time that we feel the love that the fans have for us,” said the oldest player ever to play in the European Championship.
“The legacy will be honored and continued to be built”
The Portuguese forward has already said that this will be his last European Championship, but has not said whether he will leave the national team. In a long article, the Reuters news agency asked this Saturday: “Does Portugal still need Ronaldo?” The article recalls that former coach Fernando Santos tried to send off the striker, but the new coach “trusted the player again”. Finally, Reuters claims that, as in 2016, in 2024 Ronaldo will not be remembered for goals, but for tears.
CR7 is the most prolific player in the history of national teams (212). At this European Championship, he was left empty-handed despite starting all five games. Although he did not score, the Portuguese star holds the world record for most goals scored for his country: 130. In Germany, he failed to become the oldest player ever to score at the European Championships, as well as establish himself as the only player to score goals in six European Championships.
Performance below target
The quarter-final exit left the Portuguese team below the targets set by Fernando Gomes. “The minimum required is to reach the semi-finals,” the Portuguese Football Federation president said in an interview last December. As you know CMPortugal’s performance at the tournament will be under scrutiny, but there is no indication that Roberto Martinez’s place is in jeopardy. The coach is under contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup.
Brother in Defense of João Felix
“There were ‘people’ who celebrated your missed penalty, either because until today they were a little suspicious of your success, mainly in Portugal, or because they were sad about life and lived off your failure,” Hugo Felix wrote on social media, in a long message of support to his brother João Felix.
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France
“The main thing was done because France’s efficiency was low,” writes the newspaper “L’Équipe.” Then he emphasizes: “All the players called upon to score a goal did their job. The only mistake was made by João Félix.”
Spain
“A mistake by João Félix after 120 balanced minutes when Portugal deserved to go through. Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leão missed opportunities to score in extra time,” Marca reports.
England
“After the blood of Kylian Mbappe and the tears of Cristiano, this was a game where sweat eclipsed inspiration,” writes the Daily Mail.
Italy
“João Félix makes mistakes, Theo doesn’t,” writes the Gazzetta dello Sport. This highlights the penalty moment in which France were more effective. “João Félix’s strike decided everything.”
Netherlands
“The game between Portugal and France was disappointing in the first half. From then on the tempo became more energetic. In the end, a mistake by João Felix played a decisive role,” De Telegraaf reports.
Brazil
“For the first time, Ronaldo finished a national team tournament without scoring for Portugal. There were five games at this Euro, and in none of them did the number 7 score,” ESPN Brasil reports.
AND
“Pride”
“We were unlucky not to have overcome the last hurdle. But we played a great game, had a great campaign and there is no doubt that all the players, the coach and the management of the team are a source of pride for all of us,” Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said this Saturday, summing up the participation in the Euro.
“Stronger”
“It was amazing to feel the support that all the Portuguese people gave us in and outside the stadium. I will never forget it. Thank you very much! We will come back stronger,” Danilo wrote in a heartfelt message on social media.
Author: Mario Pereira
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.