ROAD TO RUSSIA
Kings of Europe but Portugal are still World Cup outsiders
Lisbon — Portugal head to the World Cup as European champions but few would place them among the favourites in Russia. Cristiano Ronaldo will spearhead the charge but what about their coach, Fernando Santos, who led the team to glory only two years ago? Here, we take a closer look at Santos and how Portugal are set for the tournament. Santos enjoyed a decent, if unspectacular, playing career that was mostly spent with Estoril in the first, second and third tiers of Portuguese football. In management, he has coached in Portugal, with giants Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Porto, and Greece, where he was in charge of AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and finally the Greek national team at Euro 2012. They made the quarter-finals before losing to Germany.
Some would say Santos is the antithesis of attractive, attacking football, with his teams usually set up to defend first, maintain shape and frustrate opponents through discipline and hard work. Under his leadership, Portugal won Euro 2016,...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.