PortuGOAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

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“I tried to take advantage of every minute the mister gave me. It wasn’t the result we wanted, we always want to win, but we played a great team with some of the best players in the world and a draw ended up a positive outcome.”

“It’s fantastic, it’s probably the best moment of my career so far. This club is a different club. It’s an incredible atmosphere in the city, the fans. It’s a perfect blend. It’s actually incredible to wake up every morning and go to training with all these players in a diversity of cultures: France, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia... It’s incredible. This club has something special.”

“I am very emotional. Of course, I have had bigger moments than this, but I am not feeling for myself, I am feeling for the people and my players. This for us, is our Champions League.”

“An amazing moment for me. I am written in the history of Ekstraklasa. I am the first foreigner to score a hundred goals. This moment is once in a lifetime. Now my name has been registered in Poland, in Ekstraklasa and it is really amazing.”

“To get direct promotion with four games to play is a fantastic achievement for us, but one thing that makes me even prouder of these players is the way we did it. We were so dominant almost all season.”

“Keep it up like this, but only until the World Cup!”

“That penalty could have complicated matters but I think it was undisputedly a deserved victory for Portugal”

“You cannot expect me to be neutral. I love Italy, I thank Italy for all it gave me over the years at Inter and now too, but with all my strength I say Força Portugal! Let’s get there!”

“The reality is we controlled the game and we were the better team in the two games, in my opinion.”

“He’s a fabulous player, with technique and quality, he’s improved his long-range passing, and the timing of when to release the ball. At the moment he is a complete midfielder. We have a player whose presence fills the pitch.”

“The images I have in my head are horrible, of people running away with suitcases and their children in their arms.”

“He can bring good things for us. He’s a special player. It’s a long time without playing and we need to give him minutes like this to give him confidence.”

“It was very good to have this feeling again.”

“When there is little planning, or none at all, you have to revise your objectives.”

“He's a very special player for us, he has some specific characteristics, he also creates a good environment.”

“I hadn’t wanted to play Nani, as he hasn’t trained for a month, but he’s a champion and showed his quality with just a couple of moves. I trust that he can become an example for our younger players.”

“Fábio is a talented kid, but he needs to continue to work and the first man he needs to impress is me, every day during the training, to be more consistent, and the kid is doing that. Maybe now he’ll have more (playing) time from me.”

“This was not the outcome we wanted, obviously. We worked hard to achieve our goals, but with the same honesty we have always had when we are together, we reached the conclusion that this [separation] is the best for both parties.”

“When I left Portugal, I was coming for this. I am proud to work with this group. I have grown a lot with them. They are great professionals and I’m very proud to have made history with this club.”

“We played spectacularly well in the qualifiers and the group phase. Today the whole world looking at the Champions League is going to realise that Barcelona are out, and the club that knocked them out was Benfica.”

“These players continue to surprise me every day.”

“At his age, I've never seen a player who is that physically fit. He’s still a player who can easily make the difference.”

“Diogo: exceptional player, exceptional boy. It was a perfect signing because he has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs.”

“I’m proud to be captain of this team, which gives everything on the pitch.”

“I don’t want to stop here. It is easy to reach this level, the difficult thing is to maintain it.”

“It was an awful performance; I can’t explain it. Playing at home in front of 65,000 people we have to do better. This is inadmissible and we have to improve in March.”

“Am I happy with the result? Naturally. In terms of our position, winning 5-0 or drawing here was the same thing. Of course I’d prefer to win 5-0, but it’s a positive result. Serbia has to play in our stadium to win. I’m convinced we’ll qualify.”

“To put it simply, we were better than AC Milan in the two games.”

“It’s normal because the club is so big that the criticism is always there. It doesn’t bother me because I have played football for 18 years and I know that one day it’s perfect and another day we are crap. We have to deal with that. It’s always better when people praise you, but in life you have to go through bad moments.”

“I did not enjoy life until I had a family.”

“It was not perfect because we were lacking a clinical touch, but the performance was almost perfection.”

“It was a spur of the moment thing. Ronaldo laughed, it was a joke. It showed the warmth and spirit of friendship we have in the squad.”

“Matheus Nunes has been knocking on the door of the Seleção for some time, and now that door has opened.”

“It was almost perfect. The team were superb both defending and attacking.”

“My players gave a truly fantastic performance tactically today. I am very proud to be working with such a group.”

“It’s very cold so I’m still trying to adapt! I think one more week and I will be fine! But talking seriously, the team is really good. We are building something good here and we will deliver the results.”

“It’s the most beautiful goal of my life. I think you can score a goal like that just one time in your life.”

“Congratulations to Ajax; they were better than us. We have to learn from this defeat, especially the coach. We have to look at the match and understand what went wrong.”

“Varane and Sancho sung, and I sung 18 years ago so last night I didn’t sing, but I gave a little speech to thank them for welcoming me and telling them we have fantastic potential to build confidence and be where Manchester deserves: step by step we have to win the Premier League.”

“We were a very consistent team at all times and played an excellent game, but there are a lot of things we must improve on.”

“The Euro didn’t work out as we wanted, but there were positives. We have to rectify some things and maintain what we did well.”

“It was tough, but over the two games we were the better team.”

“We have not won the tie, but it is a historic victory.”

“Benfica played a great game, better than I was thinking for this stage of the season. The team was very good, both attacking and defending.”

“Although it was only a one-goal difference, it was a far more convincing victory than any of our three wins over Braga last season.”

“I am very happy to continue this adventure with LOSC. A big thank you to everyone, I will continue to give my all for Lille.”

“I arrive here raring to go, full of determination and wanting to give 200% of myself at all times for the club.”

“There are players crying in the changing room. They gave it everything. Belgium had 6 shots, we had 29. But a defeat is a defeat. They scored a goal, we didn’t.”

“The game against Germany served as a lesson.”

“We have learned from our mistakes. If it’s a Portugal-Germany final, Portugal will win.”

“The responsibility is all mine.”

“We have to keep our feet on the ground and play even better (than against Hungary) to win this game.”

“Was the goal a relief? Yes, a big relief! It was a decisive goal, with a touch of luck, but I’m very happy to have scored and that afterwards we got two more goals.”

“I will go into Euro 2020 like it was my first European Championship. I feel as motivated, if not more, than in 2004.”

“Since I became Portugal manager my thinking is that we go into every tournament to win it. I’m taking a suitcase for one month, and tobacco too!”

“I’m a Sporting player and I’m going to continue to be.”

“I’m motivated and confident after the season I had.”

“Never could I have imagined that one day I would lift a trophy with Braga, the club I’ve followed since I was born. Today is the most emotional day of my career.”

“Will this be Ronado’s last Euro? With Ronaldo it’s tough to make that judgement, he’s a machine. He takes really good care of himself. Will be play the Euro after this one? We can’t rule it out.”

“I have had two good months. I’m happy.”

“A squad came together where there were no superstars.”

“Jorge Mendes eventually convinced me, and now he says, ‘See how I was right all along?!’”

“When José became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time.”

“It was another day where Sporting fans had to suffer, but all ended well.”

“I scored 32 goals at Sporting [in one season] so I expect to pass that mark! My target every time is to do better and better.”

“We are in first, with four games to go, but this is not over yet. We have to be strong in every game.”

“I cannot stress more strongly UEFA and the footballing world are united against the disgraceful, self-serving proposals fuelled purely by greed. This idea is a spit in the face for all football lovers and our society.”

“Of course I’d like him to come back to Portugal. But I want to see Cristiano happy, that’s the most important thing. And I think he is happy in Turin.”

“I’m extremely proud of my players. I think it was one of the best games we’ve played in Europe.”

“There are eight games left. It’s going to be fun.”

“The players interpreted our plan perfectly. Given the solidity of our performance it was a bitter pill to concede the goal.”