Portugal 2023 UEFA European U19 Championship Preview

01 July 2023

Portugal are making their final preparations for the 2023 UEFA European U19 Championship in Malta.

The Equipa das Quinas have been drawn in Group A alongside the hosts, Poland and Italy. Their campaign begins against Poland, the match taking place in Paola on 3 July.

Eight nations are competing in the tournament with Joaquim Milheiro’s side attempting to lift the trophy for the second time. They won in Finland in 2018, defeating Italy 4-3 in extra time in the final.

Portugal have a proud history at the tournament, winning in 1961 when it was the UEFA Youth Tournament. They won in 1994 and 1999 when it was the UEFA European U18 Championship.

Their last involvement in the European U19 Championship was in 2019 when they reached the final in Armenia, going down 2-0 to Spain.

Road to Malta

Qualifying Round

Portugal received a bye to the elite round after being the top ranked team in the coefficient. That was due to their strong performances in the UEFA European U19 Championship qualifying competitions and final tournament from 2016 to 2019.

Elite Round

Portugal enjoyed home advantage in Group 4, their first game in Vizela resulting in a 1-0 win against Sweden. Rodrigo Ribeiro, Afonso Moreira and Gustavo Sá all went close in the second half before João Neves headed home Martim Marques' cross in added time.

Joaquim Milheiro’s side qualified for the tournament in Barcelos after a 3-0 win against Czech Republic. Hugo Félix’s corner was converted by Gabriel Brás before Félix scored twice, his second a sweet strike into the top corner.

Carimbo no passaporte e cá vai Portugal para o Europeu Sub-19! 🛫 pic.twitter.com/GoSRjMKsPT
— Canal 11 (@Canal_11Oficial) March 25, 2023

Portugal remained in Barcelos and ended the group with a 3-0 win against Croatia. They dominated from start to finish, Gustavo Sá opening the scoring in the 15^th minute with Diego Moreira and Hugo Félix scoring in the second half.

Manager

Joaquim Milheiro was born in Santa Maria da Feira in 1979. He had a short career that was spent close to home, learning his trade at Fiães where he played for the senior team in 1998-99. He played one season at Canedo before retiring in 2000.

His started his off-field career in 2005 as a conditioning coach for Porto's U15 and U19 teams, his first foray into management coming at Padroense U17 in the 2007/08 season.

He returned to being a conditioning coach in 2008, leaving the mainland to work at GD Interclube in Angola and Raja Casablanca in Morocco before spending a season at Leixões.

The 44-year-old joined the FPF in 2011 where he was assistant manager for Portugal’s U20, U19 and U17 teams. In 2015 he became Portugal’s academy manager.

He became Portugal's U15 manager in 2018 and has stayed with the group to U19 level.

Squad

Joaquim Milheiro initially named 24 players in his squad with 20 travelling to Malta.

Mateus Fernandes was dismissed early on at the request of Sporting CP and replaced by Gondomar’s André Neves.

Diego Moreira was called up to Portugal’s U21 squad after Fábio Vieira withdrew due to injury, the winger replaced by Herculano Nabian.

João Carvalho, David Monteiro, Hugo Oliveira, André Neves and João Faria missed out.

Goalkeeper Gonçalo Ribeiro and right-back Martim Fernandes represented Portugal at the 2023 European U17 Championship in Hungary where they went out in the group stage.

Manchester City winger Carlos Borges was recently named the 2022/23 English Premier League 2 player of the season.

Goalkeepers: Diogo Pinto (Sporting CP), Gonçalo Ribeiro (Porto)

Defenders: Martim Marques (Sporting CP), Luís Gomes (Porto), António Ribeiro (Porto), Gabriel Brás (Porto), Gonçalo Esteves (Sporting CP), Martim Fernandes (Porto)

Midfielders: Yanis da Rocha (Troyes), Nuno Félix (Benfica), Gustavo Sá (Famalicão), Samuel Justo (Sporting CP), Diogo Prioste (Benfica), João Vasconcelos (Braga)

Forwards: Carlos Borges (Manchester City), Hugo Félix (Benfica), Herculano Nabian (Empoli), Jorge Meireles (Porto), Rodrigo Ribeiro (Sporting CP), Miguel Falé (Braga)

Quotes

Joaquim Milheiro: “The objectives are to continue to develop our game identity, to make our players continue to grow and become more competent and prepared for higher challenges such as the U21 and senior teams.

We will also try to enjoy what a European Championship is and, given the more demanding context that this generation has already faced, we will be able to add even more things to our game in order to make this historic and memorable moment for Portugal”.

Diogo Prioste: “All the competitions we enter we play to win and this one will be the same. We know that we are going to face great teams and great difficulties, but we are also aware that we have a group with a lot of value and a lot of quality.

Everyone who is here wants to make a difference. This is a united team that has grown a lot over the five years we have been together. We are fighters and I believe we are strong in every aspect of the game. We're going to be prepared for anything”.

Gabriel Brás: “It's a special and unique moment. Whenever we represent the National Team, it's reaching the highest level in football. I'm going to make the most of the moment, it's something we've never had in this generation, the final phase of an international competition. This is even more special for us”.

Hugo Félix: “We didn’t have the European U17 Championship (due to the pandemic). This will be our first important moment, we promise to give everything on the field and we will do it everything to win the first game.

It is a group with a lot of talent, from U15, we are a big family, a great team and we have a lot of chemistry which will help us for the tournament. The coach is very demanding, but I think that does us a lot of good.

“I'm a very good player between the lines, very strong at set pieces. My brother (João Félix) is my biggest reference. My goal is to reach both the Seleção and the main team of Benfica and that's what I work for every day”.

Carlos Borges: “So far everything has been going well. We are a little anxious for the start of the tournament, but working well so that we are prepared when it starts. I will give everything to help the team bring the Cup to Portugal.

We are not favourites to win, but I would say we are candidates. We still don't know in detail the teams we will face in the phase groups, but our goal is to win all three games and then go game by game until the end.

It makes me proud to be here representing my country. I promise to give everything on the field and I work day by day with my teammates. We know we have a strong squad, with high-level players who want to show their quality”.

Gustavo Sá: “We are an extraordinarily united group. I have always felt this cohesion since I arrived. We are making excellent preparations and we have the ambition to make a great tournament.

Martim Fernandes: “I am very grateful for the call up to the U19 squad. We are going to try to win the trophy that escaped us in Hungary. Mister Milheiro had already spoken about the possibility of some going up to the U19’s but I thought he was talking about Gonçalo Ribeiro.

Of course I was more comfortable at my level because they are colleagues of my age and with whom I have been playing for a long time. Now they are new people and it is up to me to fit in so that they also that chemistry emerges on the field.

It's not strange to be the youngest - I was already in the B team of FC Porto and the youngest ever in the Youth League.

Preparation is going great. We did a kind of pre-season so that when we get to Malta we will be at one hundred percent. We want to reach the final and win I don't want a repeat of the European U17 Championship in Israel where we lost in the semi-finals. Being eliminated by France on penalties was a big disappointment”.

Rodrigo Ribeiro: “The team is confident. Nervousness before competitions of this size is natural but we are used to dealing with that.

Some have been here since the U15s, we feel like a family from day one and we will continue like this.

We are an offensive team, with quality and intensity, which is what Mister Milheiro most asks us in training”.

Jorge Meireles: “We know the difficulties that await us and the importance of starting such a short tournament well. Talking about favoritism doesn't matter if, on the field, we don't demonstrate that we are superior to Poland.

At this level we have to live game by game with our feet firmly on the ground. So far we have only earned the right to be here. Everything else is missing.

We are an aggressive, intense and resilient team. We never give up on a move and we are ambitious in the game itself - we always want to get more out of the game, whether in terms of performance or results.

On the other hand, we have high technical quality, as is typical of Portugal. We've been playing together for many years, I'm 19 and I've been playing in this team for four years. We all have a lot of knowledge and rapport”.

Yans da Rocha: “I'm having a very good integration. All the players, despite my Portuguese not being ideal, talk to me and they help me with everything. It was a surprise to be called up, because a year ago I didn't even have a cap.

It was only in October that I arrived in this squad, I had been playing amateur football for two years. I knew it was difficult for any player to be in the European Championship and I thank and feel blessed for the confidence given to me by Mister Milheiro.

My father, who is Portuguese, was super proud and happy, both with this call-up and with the first one. Even my non-Portuguese mother was proud. My family in Rio Tinto were also very happy to see me again and to know that my best dreams had come true.

On an individual level, I hope I can help the team but even if I don't have a minute of play I will respect all technical choices. I am one more to help on and off the pitch”.

Boys becoming men

The squad spent their pre-tournament camp in Penafiel, during which they visited the APADIMP association, a social responsibility institution that provides care to young people with disabilities.

After spending time with the youngsters, signing autographs and posing for selfies, Joaquim Milheiro described the visit as symbolic of the true “family spirit” in his team.

The squad continued their community work in Malta where they participated in a trip organised by the UEFA Social Responsibility department, visiting the St Joseph Institute which houses fifteen children with delicate family situations.

The players, technical team and staff distributed souvenirs including footballs and tournament tickets, playing in small games and taking part in sessions of free kicks and penalties.

By Matthew Marshall