The coach of the Portuguese national team, Roberto Martinez, appeared in press statements after being eliminated from the quarter-finals of the European Nations Cup by France on penalties after a goalless draw.

Martinez said: “ It is a sad moment because the players fought and did everything we worked on over the past few weeks. There was sadness in the locker room. Our fans deserve to be happy.”

He added: "We fell but stood up. We showed the values ​​of Portuguese football, by having a lot of possession. France is a dangerous team, but we defended well and played one-on-one. It was tough that we couldn't score. We were unlucky in the penalty shootout."

He stressed: “After this match, the dressing room is full of emotions and I am sure that the players will improve a lot in this match. We created great danger in the final third of the field. It was a performance that made us look to the future with great pride.”

He noted: “Pepe was an example throughout the tournament, in everything he did. As a coach, I am always attentive to what he does on the field. Players like Gonzalo Inacio or Antonio Silva will gain good things from this exclusion, they will gain experience and the desire to improve, and always look at what Pepe did.

He noted: “We lost, but we lost with pride, as we always gave everything every minute, the Portuguese way. Let's not stop here. In the future we will give everything.”

He added, “We worked very well in taking the penalty shootouts during the week. The ball hit the post and went out. That is the difference. It is not a case of lack of quality or preparation... It was bad luck, and this is football.”< br>

He concluded: “The dressing room is strong and at the moment is helping the player who is currently going through a difficult moment. In penalty kicks, only the one who takes the penalty kick can fail.” The important thing is that we have had a very good period of work and we have to make the best use of it to grow and look forward to beyond Euro 2024. There is life after this competition. Now is not the time to evaluate it. We have to take into account the attitude and support of the fans. It was a unique experience. We are sad because we wanted to give them happiness, we gave everything.”