The improbable story of Benfica’s midfield maestro

What a time it is in Portugal’s football history. It is an era in which we all celebrate the lavishly talented football marvels widely distributed across Europe’s top domestic leagues. That we should all be so blessed!

The conversation rightly meanders its way back to some key names: Ricardo Pereira, Bernardo Silva, and João Félix this season, João Cancelo and Bruno Fernandes last season.

Yet there remains one enigmatic character who has quietly and consistently elevated his performances to such an extent it has become utterly irrational to dispute his place alongside the other great names in Portuguese football today.

Pizzi.

Wry smiles and audible gasps were aplenty at the Euro 2020 draw in Bucharest this afternoon as Portugal were landed in Group F alongside France, Germany and one other team, as yet unknown.

The final opponent awaiting the defending champions will only be known in March and will be one of Iceland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania*, the winner of that quartet in the playoffs. Portugal will contest their group stage matches in Budapest and Munich. 

Portugal booked their spot at the UEFA 2020 European Championships after finishing second behind Ukraine in Group B to earn direct qualification. The campaign began with two home draws and included a 2-1 defeat in Ukraine, but the Seleção got it done when it mattered and added the inaugural UEFA Nations League to the trophy cabinet in June.

The 10 games were split into five double headers, Fernando Santos’ squad selections, formations and line-ups giving us an insight into his thought process and long-term planning. PortuGOAL's Matthew Marshall breaks it down, discusses some of the winners and losers and charts how Santos and the squad progressed in 2019. If you want as successful a year as the Seleção, take advanage of promo code.

How Silva can reincarnate the mythical No.10 role for Portugal

Bernardo Silva.

Following another exquisite display of football genius last week, tribute for the Seleção’s most exciting player in years has rained down from all corners of the Portuguese supporter community. A well-taken goal and three assists hardly told the full story of Portugal’s diminutive midfield soloist, who headlined in an unfettered, central-midfield-wanderer role against Lithuania and Luxembourg which proved devastatingly effective.

In keeping with this site’s 15-year tradition of producing the world’s finest English-language content on Portuguese football, PortuGOAL.net has elected to highlight one of the relevant queries of this era of the Seleção - how best to inspire this squad through the greatness of Bernardo Silva? 

Join Nathan Motz as he embarks upon a tour through football history trying to find the elusive answer.