Paris - A thundering out-of-the-blue shot by
substitute Eder gave Portugal a shock 1-0
win over France in the European
Championship final, delivering the country's
first international title as superstar Cristiano
Ronaldo watched injured from the
touchline.
Ronaldo was stretchered off in tears in the
first half and limped on crying with joy
again after his side delivered the final
knockout blow in the month-long
tournament of upsets.
Hosts France dominated the game, as they
had nearly every match since the start. But
they could not break down a Portuguese
defence in which man-of-the-match Pepe
was majestic and goalkeeper Rui Patricio
produced a string of dramatic saves.
"It was not the final I wanted but I am very
happy. It is a trophy for all Portuguese, for
all immigrants, all the people who believed
in us so I am very happy and very proud,"
said Ronaldo.
Up against a French team with a whole
nation behind them, Portugal healed their
own football wound from a shock they
suffered twelve years ago. In the 2004 Euro
final, Portugal lost to Greece 1-0 on home
territory.
Portugal can now expect a momentous
national welcome when they return to
Lisbon and a tickertape parade through the
capital on Monday.
Portugal's coach Fernando Santos and the
other players paid tribute to Ronaldo's role
in urging the team not to give up in the
tense match at the Stade de France. Ronaldo
returned from treatment at the end of 90
minutes to give pep talks to his team-mates.
He fell the ground in agony in the eighth
minute following a clattering challenge from
Dimitri Payet. After twice going off for
treatment and trying to come back, Ronaldo
was definitively carried off.
"He told me I was going to score the
winning goal," said Eder who plays for
French side Lille and only went on in the
79th minute. "He gave me strength and
positive energy."
Victory also gave Ronaldo energy. He danced
past reporters with other Portugal players as
they left the stadium.
"Cristiano is fundamental to us," said Santos.
"It would be utopian to not use Ronaldo and
all his added value.
"Cristiano could score at any moment and
sort everything out on his own but I always
said we are a team - we win as a team."
Portugal defended doggedly and threatened
occasionally without their inspirational
skipper. With 109 minutes gone, Eder beat
off a Laurent Koscielny challenge to fire a
shot from outside the penalty area that
French captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris
could not even get a hand to.
The tournament featuring 24 teams for the
first time failed to produce classic football.
And Lloris was the latest to raise questions
about the manner of Portugal's wins.
"If they won the tournament it is because
they deserved it," Lloris said.
But he described France's luck as "cruel"
and added "one can always argue about the
way they play, but they are efficient and
you must congratulate them."
Santos had always said he does not care if
Portugal win "ugly" as long as they win.
The 51 games produced 108 goals, one of the
lowest averages for recent international
tournaments. The quality was not
memorable. But the upset results will go
down in history.
Iceland stunned England 2-1, Wales beat
Belgium 3-1 in a classic quarter-final and
Portugal will long celebrate their win in a
stadium that was invaded by swarms of
moths.
France started the match as strong
favourites after beating Germany 2-0 in the
semi-final. Antoine Griezmann scored twice
in that game to take his tournament total to
a Golden Boot winning six goals.
But the striker who has spent his entire
career in Spain and has never played in the
French league could not penetrate the
Portugal defence. His early header drew a
finger-tip save from Rui Patricio. Griezmann
said defeat had been a double blow as he
also missed a penalty in Atletico Madrid's
defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid in the
Champions League final seven weeks ago.
Moussa Sissoko also drove a thundering shot
over the bar while French substitute Andre-
Pierre Gignac sent an extra time shot
against the post.
"The disappointment is there and it's
immense," French coach Didier Deschamps
said. "We've let a big chance to be
champions pass us by."
Deschamps contract runs until 2018 and the
World Cup in Russia. He said he would take
time to "digest" the disappointment before
thinking about his own future.
France spent €450m preparing 10 stadiums
for Euro 2016 which could be the last hosted
in one country. Euro 2020, the 16th
tournament, will be held in 13 cities in 13
different countries from Azerbaijan to
Wales.
Despite some doubts about the 24-country
format, UEFA's executive committee "praised
the competitiveness of the competition" in a
statement after a meeting on Saturday.
substitute Eder gave Portugal a shock 1-0
win over France in the European
Championship final, delivering the country's
first international title as superstar Cristiano
Ronaldo watched injured from the
touchline.
Ronaldo was stretchered off in tears in the
first half and limped on crying with joy
again after his side delivered the final
knockout blow in the month-long
tournament of upsets.
Hosts France dominated the game, as they
had nearly every match since the start. But
they could not break down a Portuguese
defence in which man-of-the-match Pepe
was majestic and goalkeeper Rui Patricio
produced a string of dramatic saves.
"It was not the final I wanted but I am very
happy. It is a trophy for all Portuguese, for
all immigrants, all the people who believed
in us so I am very happy and very proud,"
said Ronaldo.
Up against a French team with a whole
nation behind them, Portugal healed their
own football wound from a shock they
suffered twelve years ago. In the 2004 Euro
final, Portugal lost to Greece 1-0 on home
territory.
Portugal can now expect a momentous
national welcome when they return to
Lisbon and a tickertape parade through the
capital on Monday.
Portugal's coach Fernando Santos and the
other players paid tribute to Ronaldo's role
in urging the team not to give up in the
tense match at the Stade de France. Ronaldo
returned from treatment at the end of 90
minutes to give pep talks to his team-mates.
He fell the ground in agony in the eighth
minute following a clattering challenge from
Dimitri Payet. After twice going off for
treatment and trying to come back, Ronaldo
was definitively carried off.
"He told me I was going to score the
winning goal," said Eder who plays for
French side Lille and only went on in the
79th minute. "He gave me strength and
positive energy."
Victory also gave Ronaldo energy. He danced
past reporters with other Portugal players as
they left the stadium.
"Cristiano is fundamental to us," said Santos.
"It would be utopian to not use Ronaldo and
all his added value.
"Cristiano could score at any moment and
sort everything out on his own but I always
said we are a team - we win as a team."
Portugal defended doggedly and threatened
occasionally without their inspirational
skipper. With 109 minutes gone, Eder beat
off a Laurent Koscielny challenge to fire a
shot from outside the penalty area that
French captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris
could not even get a hand to.
The tournament featuring 24 teams for the
first time failed to produce classic football.
And Lloris was the latest to raise questions
about the manner of Portugal's wins.
"If they won the tournament it is because
they deserved it," Lloris said.
But he described France's luck as "cruel"
and added "one can always argue about the
way they play, but they are efficient and
you must congratulate them."
Santos had always said he does not care if
Portugal win "ugly" as long as they win.
The 51 games produced 108 goals, one of the
lowest averages for recent international
tournaments. The quality was not
memorable. But the upset results will go
down in history.
Iceland stunned England 2-1, Wales beat
Belgium 3-1 in a classic quarter-final and
Portugal will long celebrate their win in a
stadium that was invaded by swarms of
moths.
France started the match as strong
favourites after beating Germany 2-0 in the
semi-final. Antoine Griezmann scored twice
in that game to take his tournament total to
a Golden Boot winning six goals.
But the striker who has spent his entire
career in Spain and has never played in the
French league could not penetrate the
Portugal defence. His early header drew a
finger-tip save from Rui Patricio. Griezmann
said defeat had been a double blow as he
also missed a penalty in Atletico Madrid's
defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid in the
Champions League final seven weeks ago.
Moussa Sissoko also drove a thundering shot
over the bar while French substitute Andre-
Pierre Gignac sent an extra time shot
against the post.
"The disappointment is there and it's
immense," French coach Didier Deschamps
said. "We've let a big chance to be
champions pass us by."
Deschamps contract runs until 2018 and the
World Cup in Russia. He said he would take
time to "digest" the disappointment before
thinking about his own future.
France spent €450m preparing 10 stadiums
for Euro 2016 which could be the last hosted
in one country. Euro 2020, the 16th
tournament, will be held in 13 cities in 13
different countries from Azerbaijan to
Wales.
Despite some doubts about the 24-country
format, UEFA's executive committee "praised
the competitiveness of the competition" in a
statement after a meeting on Saturday.
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