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EFE
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said at a press conference on Saturday that his player Pepe, who was 41 years old and in tears after being eliminated by France on penalties, “is an example for Portuguese football.”
The Spanish coach praised a historic player of the Portuguese team, who could retire permanently from the national team after his team’s elimination: “Pepe has been an example during the tournament. Those who come after him will be better because of the experience they have had with Pepe and what he has taught them.”
“Not only the matches, but also the training sessions, the words, his commitment. He has had tears of frustration. When the opponent is better, there are no tears, but today it is difficult because we were better and we were not able to continue. Pepe is an example for Portuguese football,” he stressed.
He also had words for Joao Félix, who was the only one of his players to miss a penalty: “The dressing room supported all the players, especially him. He took a penalty and those who take it can miss. He came on in extra time to control the inside play and he did very well. The penalty is an anecdote. Joao Félix’s technical quality is unquestionable and the dressing room knows that we have to be united to keep moving forward. We are going to continue giving everything to give our fans something to cheer about.”
“We all know that luck is part of football. The ball can hit the post and miss by five centimetres. Today we had control of the game and opportunities. With opportunities we will win more games than lose them, without a doubt,” he added.
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He also analysed the match against France, saying that both teams were “very good” and pointing out that Portugal’s performance cannot be judged by just one match.
“The whole tournament has to be validated, every match is important. The players’ commitment was important. Today the players gave everything, we had many opportunities. In the end, the ball hit the post and went out. I am proud of what the players did, they showed personality. We deserved to win, but this is the best tournament in Europe with the best players and that is evident,” he said.
Asked if Cristiano Ronaldo had told him after the match that he was leaving the national team, he denied that this had happened: “After the match there was no talk of any individual decision.”
