Fernando Santos

Portugal’s national coach on being European champions, next year’s World Cup and managing the world’s best player

- Samindra Kunti

A year on from Euro 2016, how do you look back on the tournament? 

As victorious. I think of it every day. Portugal became the European champions and delighted the Portuguese people.

What was Portugal’s most difficult game of that campaign? 

The game with Hungary was definitely the most complicated. At all levels, we could have won or lost. Three times Portugal were out of the championship during the match. That was the most difficult, but the games against both Croatia and France were of a similar difficulty level.

At what moment did you feel Portugal would become European champions?

It was not a question of becoming champions. I had always said and thought that Portugal could go on to win the tournament. There are no certainties in life, and it’s difficult to know, but I always had that strong conviction. Portugal needed to believe and had the obligation of believing that they could win Euro 2016.

In the Final against France, Portugal were without Cristiano Ronaldo for much of the game but still managed to win. But is the team still too reliant on him? 

Portugal didn’t win without Cristiano Ronaldo. He played in the Final, got injured and that filled us with sadness. Every team in the world is dependent on its best players. Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world. In all the teams, the best players are decisive, influential and determined on merit, and that is still the case with Ronaldo for Portugal.

What is his main quality?