PORTO (Reuters) - Pragmatic and down-to-earth as ever, Portugal coach Fernando Santos has overcome the loss of several key players to build a team that are maybe stronger than the Euro 2016 winners. It has not always been pretty -- his first seven competitive matches all ended in one-goal wins -- and Santos made no apologies for that after Sunday's triumph. Yet, unlike many other national teams who go into a long transitional or learning phase, Portugal have remained intensely competitive as Santos has moved the pieces. With Euro 2020 coming up and new players appearing all the time, Santos said he would go "straight back to work. "In reality, it’s a clear demonstration of where Portuguese football is in terms of youth development and the ability of its players.

Source: The Star June 10, 2019 16:41 UTC