Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 330: Portugal in Trouble

On the morning of the final, there was a press conference where Santos spoke about the events of the previous night. He expressed his anger towards the actions of the French fans, which violated the spirit of sportsmanship. However, the French media remained silent on the matter, while Portuguese media criticized the French for their unscrupulous tactics.

It was clear that the police taking an hour and a half to arrive was deliberate. At that time of night, there couldn't have been any traffic to delay them for that long.

"Obviously, those police officers are fans of the French team. They wanted Portugal to be more disturbed so that the poorly rested Portuguese players wouldn't perform well in the match, giving France an easy victory. This is unethical! If the French team needs such tactics to win, isn't it pitiful?"

Later, officials from the French Football Federation condemned the actions of the fans but denied any responsibility for the French team. "Fans have the freedom to do what they want. We certainly don't support their actions, but the team is innocent. We can't control what a group of fans decides to do at 2 a.m."

This was merely an attempt to shirk responsibility.

There was no time for a war of words, as the match was drawing near. To ensure the players had enough energy for the evening match, Santos and his coaching staff canceled the scheduled recovery training in the afternoon, allowing the players to rest and recover their strength. Fortunately, the match was scheduled for 9 p.m.; otherwise, they would have been in real trouble.

...

After dinner and a short rest, the Portuguese team headed to the Stade de France to prepare for the match. Along the way, French fans followed their bus, making provocative gestures like flipping the middle finger—an international sign understood by all.

Some players were still yawning on the way to the stadium, clearly not having rested well.

"Yawn... I still feel like sleeping. What do we do now?" Ronaldo said after yawning.

This was the third yawn in a minute from the Portuguese captain, and his eyes were watering.

"F**k... At such a crucial time, facing such a match. Damn those French bastards; they better not come to Portugal..." another player grumbled.

"I think we should retaliate. When we have a home match, let our fans make a scene!"

The players were still furious about the treatment they received that morning, never expecting the French fans to resort to such low tactics to disturb their sleep.

Those who couldn't rest well naturally had low energy levels. Some players tried to catch up on sleep, even if only for fifteen more minutes.

...

"This morning, Santos said in an interview that his team was disturbed by a group of French fans at dawn. The players couldn't sleep for two hours, casting a shadow over Portugal's European Championship final. Everyone knows France is the top favorite to win this tournament. With Portugal not well-rested, how will they handle France at Stade de France?"

The TV host was analyzing the upcoming match.

In general, after this series of disruptions, most people doubted Portugal's chances of winning at Stade de France.

"I think if they can avoid falling behind in the first half, it will be a miracle..." an expert said in a phone interview.

"For Deschamps' French team, this is good news. Portugal has performed very well in this European Championship, putting a lot of pressure on Deschamps..."

"If I were to predict this match, I couldn't give a precise result, but I think it's highly likely France will win! However, football is unpredictable..."

The experts' opinions made more people doubt Portugal's chances against France. Betting companies adjusted their odds, with Portugal becoming even less favored.

Many believed that Portugal would be lucky to lose by only a few goals.

...

It was normal for everyone to think this way, as even the Portuguese themselves felt the match would be tough.

The French team was widely regarded as stronger than Portugal. Moreover, after the previous night's disturbance, many Portuguese players were still groggy, having barely slept.

On the other hand, the French team was well-rested, playing at home, with no injuries and a full squad.

Comparing both teams, it was no wonder many doubted Portugal.

Sure, Portugal had won their last two friendly matches against France, but everyone knew that friendly results couldn't be used to predict the outcome of a major final like the European Championship.

The disturbance by French fans had also led to a small-scale clash between fans outside the stadium. The confrontation escalated from verbal spats to physical fights, quickly turning into a brawl.

French police didn't take an hour and a half to respond this time. They quickly intervened, dispersing the crowd with batons and shields, arresting a dozen fans from both sides.

Judging by the colors of the jerseys worn by those arrested, more Portuguese fans were detained.

The crowd was dispersed, but the trampled flags, jerseys, scarves, lost shoes, and makeshift weapons left on the ground told the story of what had happened.

"... There was just a bit of a disturbance, adding more tension to the match. Portugal's game will be increasingly difficult. All signs indicate that it's impossible for Portugal to win at Stade de France!"

...

When the Portuguese team bus arrived outside Stade de France, the clash had long ended, and their route didn't pass by the incident site. They had no idea that their fans had already fought with the French fans outside the stadium.

After getting off the bus, the Portuguese players entered the visitors' locker room.

An assistant coach shouted, "I know you're all tired, but you need to warm up even more diligently! Otherwise, if you get injured on the field, our medical team won't be able to save you!"

"Warm up! Warm up!" Bruno clapped his hands, encouraging his teammates.

Of all the players, he seemed to be in the best spirits.

Thanks to the system, he quickly fell back asleep after the French fans left, so the impact on him was minimal.

Ronaldo yawned again, replying weakly, "Okay..."

After yawning, he cursed, "Damn it!"

...

The players changed into their training gear, left the locker room, and ran onto the pitch to warm up.

The stands were a sea of blue, filled with French fans singing and shouting, mostly insults directed at Portugal.

Bruno took a shot to help warm up goalkeeper Patricio. The shot wasn't powerful and was aimed directly at him to help him get a feel for the game. To his surprise, Patricio fumbled the ball! Even worse, when he tried to recover and grab it again, he fumbled it once more!

"Ah... Sorry, Bruno..." Patricio, embarrassed by his blunders, didn't know what to say.

His mistakes instantly made the warming-up players and coaches nervous.

With their starting goalkeeper in such a state, could Portugal really leave Stade de France unscathed?

In truth, Bruno felt even more uneasy because he remembered that early in the game, something else would severely impact Portugal's performance: Captain Ronaldo would get injured and have to be substituted!

Despite his presence, Ronaldo's influence on the team was still crucial.

...

After warming up on the field, the players returned to the locker room to hear some motivational words from their coach.

At this moment, they desperately needed a morale boost after the demoralizing events of the early morning.

"Forget all that nonsense!" Santos said to everyone. "Football is about what happens during these ninety minutes, not what happens off the pitch..."

Even as he said this, Santos found it hard to believe himself. He knew that football results weren't just about the ninety minutes on the field; preparation was equally important.

A team that hasn't rested or eaten well can't have any fighting spirit.

But what else could he say?

"We should start by playing conservatively..."

Previously, he was determined to beat France at Stade de France and win Portugal's first-ever European Championship. Now, he had adjusted his goal to just hoping for a draw.

As long as they didn't concede a goal, they could drag the match into extra time or even a penalty shootout and find a way to win.

Finally, Santos said to his players, "As long as we don't concede, it's the opponent who will get anxious!"

(End of Chapter)

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