Portugal's High Expectations Sign Of Ambition, Says Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes addressed the criticism following Portugal's 2-1 defeat by Croatia, attributing it to fans' high expectations ahead of Euro 2024. The Selecao das Quinas ended their tournament preparations with a lacklustre performance in Lisbon. Luka Modric's penalty and Ante Budimir's second-half goal nullified Diogo Jota's equaliser, marking Croatia's first victory over Portugal.
Despite winning all 10 of their qualifiers, Portugal has faced setbacks in recent friendlies against Croatia and Slovenia. The 2016 champions have not advanced past the quarter-finals in international tournaments since their triumph, including at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Fernandes expressed his views on the negativity surrounding the national team. "I don't want anyone to think that we came to this point thinking that everything was done and there was nothing to improve," he told reporters on Monday. "There are always aspects to improve."
He added, "To be honest, I like a bit of this negativity around the national team, 'the team isn't as good anymore', 'it's still not what we want'. I like it because it's a sign that people expect a lot from us and want more from the national team."
Fernandes believes that the criticism signifies the quality and potential of the players representing Portugal. "It means that we players who are representing the country have the quality to do more. We know that, we have ambition, and we want to do more and better," he said.
Upcoming Matches
Portugal is set to play the Republic of Ireland in their final warm-up match on Tuesday. They will then face the Czech Republic in their Group F opener, followed by matches against Turkiye and Georgia.
ltimo jogo de preparao #PartilhaAPaixo pic.twitter.com/ve5i4L4FsI
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 10, 2024
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