The semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2016 start next Wednesday with a squatter between Portugal and Wales. Teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale meet on the field in Lyon. Real Madrid’s two-star players will then compete for a place in the final where it will face Germany or France. According to the bookies, Ronaldo has the best chance, but Bale has recorded better results. Which team do you think will continue after the final of the European Championship in France?
Chris Coleman (national coach Wales): “We look forward to it”
Chris Coleman – the national coach of Wales – does not want to panic among his players now that they face the Portuguese team on Wednesday. “We have entered unknown territory. Or you are blinded by the light and crawl back home. Or you believe in yourself and stand for your identity”, Coleman says at the press conference. “We look forward to seeing where we are and what we are capable of. Fear is something that is talked into people from the outside. You spend more time on what you don’t want to happen than focusing on what you want to happen. The message has always been that there is nothing to be afraid of”, the national coach encourages.
Portugal is not afraid of Wales
In Portugal, too, media attention is focused on the confrontation between Ronaldo and Bale. National coach Fernando Santos says he is not doing that at all. “We don’t focus on that,” says Santos. “Maybe it’s big news in Spain. Players from the same team facing each other are normal, and it is legitimate to talk about it.” Fernando Santos: “Pepe is a team leader” Another critical player in the Portuguese national team is Pepe. The defender, who, like Ronaldo, also plays at Real Madrid, is valuable to the team. Fernando Santos sees Pepe as his right-hand man with leadership skills on the field. “He has been a team leader from the start of this tournament,” said Santos praised Pepe. “Everyone has a role as a leader in the field. They are the right branches of the coach, and Pepe certainly has been at this European Championship.” Pepe successful by Dutch teacher Pepe played in his career with world-class players such as Fabio Cannavaro, Ricardo Carvalho and Sergio Ramos. But according to Pepe, he has learned the most from a Dutch player. Mitchell van der Gaag. I learned a lot from him”, said the now 33-year-old Pepe in an interview with the Portuguese association. Pepe and Van der Gaag both played at Maritimo Funchal in Portugal sixteen years ago, Pepe was then only seventeen years old and just came over from Brazil.
