As the Portuguese squad settle into their new surroundings in Opalenica, Poland, former Selecção midfielder Maniche has issued a rallying call to the current generation ahead of the start of Euro 2012.

The midfielder, who won over fifty caps for Portugal during an international career that spanned six years, told MaisFutebol that while preparations have been far from ideal, there is no reason for anybody to panic:

“Obviously, at this point the Portuguese are not very confident, not only because of the recent results, but also after scraping through the qualification before Bento took over. It’s not ideal, two games without a win, but it has no bearing on the future. It is better to make mistakes now than in the tournament. I still believe that we have the potential to go all the way to the final.”

Few are expecting Portugal to progress from their group having been drawn with two of the favourites in Germany and the Netherlands, but Maniche believes that the experience gained by many players with their clubs will mean that they are more than capable of excelling in such big games:

"There is a lot of talk about this generation, a group of players that while strong, is yet to win anything with the national team. But in terms of individual players they are playing for big clubs, some of them are European champions so they are used to pressure, to difficult games and difficult environments.”   

Portugal’s first game of the tournament against Germany on Saturday evening has been billed as a potential make-or-break match, but Maniche knows from personal experience that this is not always the case:

“The first game could be important for their confidence levels, or it might not. It completely depends on the result. They can draw or even lose the first game and still get through to the second phase. Everyone says that the first game is important, but don’t forget that first game against Greece in 2004 that we lost, and then we started winning all of our games until the end.”

2004 a special generation

Maniche was Portugal’s standout player eight years ago, rounding off a fine tournament with a superb goal against the Netherlands in the semi-final. Yet the midfielder does not believe that former successes should have any bearing on expectations this time around, because the two teams are incomparable:

“The Portuguese people have been spoiled because of what we did in Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. In 2004 we had a solid foundation and a good understanding because the spine of the team was made up of Porto players who had just won the European Cup. We were very confident, with a team spirit and togetherness that I don’t think will ever exist again. The current generation has quality but I don’t believe there will ever be another national side as strong as the one in 2004.”

Even so, the thirty-four year old, who retired last year, still believes that it is vitally important that the class of 2012 overcome their recent obstacles and give a good account of themselves in Poland and Ukraine, for more reasons than simply sporting ones:

“The most important thing is that the players are united, and that they realise how important it is that we have a good tournament. The country is going through a difficult time at the moment and sometimes football is an escape, it can help us to forget a little about what is going on in our lives. The players know this and it will be an added motivation because this European Championship is very important, not only for themselves, but also for all of the Portuguese people."

With the hopes of a nation on their shoulders, it seems that the stakes couldn’t be higher as the tournament draws ever closer.

by Tom Clee