Portugal will embark on a new journey on Saturday, after the dismissal of Paulo Bento. Portuguese fans will now put their confidence in 59-year-old Fernando Santos, who will take part in his first match as manager of his native country.
His eight match ban from FIFA after he was ejected in the World Cup while managing Greece has many fans questioning the Portuguese FA. If they are to hold up his full suspension, Santos could possibly only be on the bench if the Lusitanos qualify for Euro 2016.
Since that suspension is only during official matches, he will be on the sidelines Saturday at the Stade de France.
“We want to learn from past mistakes because only that way can we keep on improving,” Santos told reporters.
“Above all the group is stronger and more united. There is a great union towards achieving our goals.”
Another boost for Portugal will be the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, as the Portuguese captain was unavailable for their first qualifying match against Albania. A disappointing defeat at home is what contributed to Paulo Bento being sacked, but their next opponent will not be any easier, despite it only being a friendly.
France’s Andre-Pierre Gignac shared his admiration for Ronaldo, as the Marseille striker shared his thoughts ahead of Saturday’s friendly.
“Oh, be serious… Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world with Lionel Messi,” he said.
“He has more than one goal per game on average. What to say? I want to be prolific, but there is no comparison really.”
With Olivier Giroud out until later this year with a broken ankle, Gignac will likely see more playing time with Les Bleus. He will have to do battle with Karim Benzema and Loic Remy, but he will be confident of taking his opportunities in Didier Deschamps squad.
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