Exclusive interviews after Estonia thrashing
Portugal’s players were naturally delighted after passing their final test before Euro 2016 with flying colours. PortuGOAL spoke exclusively to Vieirinha, Éder and Ricardo Carvalho after last night’s game.
The Wolfsburg defender praised man-of-the-match Ricardo Quaresma and the work of coach Fernando Santos and suggested it could be Portugal’s year.
Éder talked about the added motivation the performance will give the team, while Ricardo Carvalho emphasised the importance of Portugal leaving a good image at the tournament.
PortuGOAL: Quaresma played an incredible game today. Has his time arrived to shine on the biggest stage?
Vieirinha: “We need Quaresma at his best. Everyone knows the quality Quaremsa has, and what he can give this team. We hope that at the Euro he is at the level he has been in these friendly games. Not only Quaresma, but all 23 squad members.”
PortuGOAL: Speaking of the 23, we could see today that when the substitutes came on they showed what they could do…
Vieirinha: “Yes, everyone wants to show what they can do, wants to show the coach that they are in good shape and he can count on them. Everyone wants to give their all in order to make their contribution to Portugal at the Euro which is the most important thing.”
PortuGOAL: Vieirinha knows Fernando Santos very well from your time together in Greece. Do you think he’s the ideal coach for Portugal at this moment in time?
Vieirinha: “Yes, he’s our coach at the moment and he’s done an excellent job since the qualification phase. He’s got everything in his favour to continue doing an excellent job at the Euro, and with our (the players’) help we hope that this year will be Portugal’s year.”
PortuGOAL: What can Portugal fans expect from the team in France?
Vieirinha: “The same thing they’ve seen in our recent games. Commitment, dedication, always trying to do our best for the good of the team – this is what the fans can expect of us, every player giving his utmost to achieve our aims.”
PortuGOAL: A 7-0 win in your final friendly game could not have been a more perfect preparation for Euro 2016…
Éder: “Yes, we played a really good game. It was important to win before we left for France, and even better to win with a thrashing. It gives us even more motivation.”
PortuGOAL: When the substitutes were made the performance level didn’t drop. If anything the opposite. There’s good competition for places in this team…
Éder: “No doubt, we have a great team. We proved that today. We have great quality. Players come on, go off and they are all at a high level. This can only help us achieve our goals.”
PortuGOAL: For you personally, after a less than positive spell in your career, since Christmas you have been scoring goals for Lille and for Portugal. Do you think this is the best spell in your career?
Éder: “Yes, I feel good, confident, and ready to work hard to help us achieve our objectives giving my best. How far can Portugal go in this Euro? I think step by step we’ll obtain good results.”
Ricardo Carvalho: “We made sure we depended more on ourselves than the opponents. We were concentrated and focused on doing our best, and after scoring the first and second goals the game became easier.”
PortuGOAL: Were you expecting to win 7-0? Probably not?
Ricardo Carvalho: “No, we were expecting to play a good game, and score goals, which was important. We had to have a good test because it’s important to start (the Euro) well.”
PortuGOAL: What can the Portuguese people expect from the Seleção in France?
Ricardo Carvalho: “We’re going to give our best. The squad is united, and that’s very important. We’ll be giving everything to go as far as possible. We realise the importance of a European Championship, especially in France, where a lot of Portuguese people live, and it’s important we leave a good image of ourselves, and for sure that’s what we will do.”
Tom Kundert was asking the questions
Related: Sensational Seleção go to France in good heart - Portugal 7-0 Estonia report
