Publications
Partners
Most of the usual suspects and a few break-outs in Team of Tournament
Bayern Munich officials can be excused for looking ever more smug as Euro 2016 was drawing to a close in France.
Like his Portuguese team mates, midfielder Renato Sanches started slowly but, like the rest of the players in the Seleção, he improved as the tournament progressed.
And he played an important part in securing Portugal their first major senior title.
For Bayern Munich, the break-out performance by the 18-year-old was not only justification that the $42.2 million (R603 million) they spent to lure the youngster from Benfica to the Bavarian capital was well spent, it also meant that the powers-that-be at Bayern had probably made considerable savings (even if the transfer fee could potentially still double) as Sanches’ performance in France would have added quite a bit to his value.
The teenager was not the only player in his side who stood out at the Euros. Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was one of four Portuguese players to make the Uefa Team of the Tournament.
Rather than a starring role, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner played a captain’s game throughout, constantly egging his team mates on.
This became evident in the final after an injury resulted in a first-half substitution.
Rather than sitting on the bench feeling sorry for himself, Ronaldo stood on the sidelines, taking on a coaching role.
His best performances came when his side really needed it: in their last group match, when Hungary had them on the ropes and Portugal needed to come back thrice to avoid going home early.
Ronaldo scored two and created the other in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
In the semifinal against an unexpectedly strong Welsh team, he again scored one and set up the other to gain Portugal’s 2-0 win.
The 31-year-old, whose only previous appearance in a major final ended in disappointment 12 years ago – when Portugal were stunned 1-0 at home in the Euro final – received high praise from his former Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Usually, top players can only play for about five or six years at the highest level, then it’s over. Cristiano has been doing this for more than 10 years.
That makes him so exceptional. Every generation has its special footballer, Cristiano is currently the exceptional one.”
If Ronaldo was inspirational upfront, defenders Pepe and Raphaël Guerreiro made sure Portugal leaked just five goals in their seven matches.
Brazilian-born Pepe – once considered one of the most aggressive international players – kept his temperament in check and was booked just once.
He was rated as the third-best player in his side behind goalkeeper Rui Patrício and hero Éder, who scored the winning goal in the final.
The hosts can draw some solace from the fact that they had the player of the tournament in their side.
Though he was competing against players like Ronaldo, Welshman Gareth Bale, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski and Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic, striker Antoine Griezmann scored six goals.
Griezmann, who had to leave his native France to embark on his professional career in Spain and now plays for Atlético Madrid, was the standout player of the tournament and, no doubt, will be on the to-buy list of a number of bigger clubs.
Though they made the final, Les Bleus were disappointing in five of the matches they played, with Griezmann and England-based striker Dimitri Payet their outstanding players.
The last time France won a major tournament was in 2003, when they hosted and won the Confederations Cup.
In that tournament, Thierry Henry won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards and the former French international sang Griezmann’s praises after the semifinal victory against Germany: “I’m actually so emotional.
The main man, Antoine Griezmann, we all knew he had to play this kind of game. We again have a hero, a striker who can make us win tournaments.”
Young defender Joshua Kimmich was an outstanding player in the German team and, with Jérôme Boateng and midfielder Toni Kroos, made Uefa’s Team of the Tournament.
Kimmich, along with Young Player of the Tournament Sanches and France’s Samuel Umtiti, were the break-out stars of the tournament: young, talented charges who made a name for themselves at their first major appearance.
Also playing at their first finals, though certainly not unknown, were Wales’ Gareth Bale, Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey.
The three excelled in a Welsh side that went far beyond what was expected from them. Surprisingly, Bale was left out of the Team of the Tournament.
Ramsey and Allen made it, along with Patrício and Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci.
