Portuguese press tear apart national team and Queiroz after pallid display

Bruising criticism in wake of Albania debacle

The vast majority of the Portuguese press reacted to Portugal’s embarrassing home draw against ten-man Albania yesterday by showering criticism on the players, and especially Carlos Queiroz.

The headlines in the three sports dailies all made uncomfortable reading for the Portugal head coach, with the mainstream newspapers no less forgiving.

The Bola asks ironically “So I’m a donkey?” alluding to a famous riposte to criticism from Queiroz’s predecessor, Luiz Filipe Scolari.

Analysis of the game includes what it perceives as a long list of blunders committed by Queiroz in his team selection and substitutions.

“Shameful!” emblazoned on the front page surrounded by pictures of frustrated gestures from Portuguese players and a resigned looking Carlos Queiroz is how the Jogo greeted the result.


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The Record goes with “We’re sick of this film!” over a photograph of a forlorn-looking Queiroz, pointing out that “after defeat against Denmark and the draw against Sweden an unthinkable draw against Albania has put Portugal in an extremely complicated position to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.”

The Diário de Notícias is damning in its assessment of the performance, saying “Without ideas or fighting spirit, Portugal yesterday put in a display that will go down in history for the worse reasons.”

The Público, considered Portugal’s highest quality daily, took no prisoners in its assessment of the horror show in Braga:

“Portugal produced an awful performance. No vision, no desire, no audacity. It’s not a good sign when the biggest applause of the first half comes for the sending off of an opposition player. It’s not a good sign when during these 45 minutes Portugal do not build one attack with a start, middle and end…”

Abyss

As for Portugal’s leading football website, Maisfutebol, under the headline “On the road to the abyss” one can read:

“It hurts to write it but it has to be done. Portugal drew nil-nil against Albania… I’d like to end this piece with the reaction of the Portuguese Football Federation head, but he left the stands well before the end of the game. Indeed, after watching this display one felt like running away.”