Portuguese contingent at Monaco continue to thrive

Portuguese contingent at Monaco continue to thrive

Bernardo brace as Jardim's men warm up for Juventus

Leonardo Jardim, aided ably by the fellow Portuguese contingent of João Moutinho, Bernardo Silva and Ricardo Carvalho, continues to oversee a spectacular season at Monaco. 

When the club from the principality sold Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez in the summer, it appeared their flirtation with an attempt to dine at Europe's top table was over before it got started.

And the way the team began the season, Jardim's second foray abroad seemed destined to be brief and anything but memorable. Five games into the season Monaco were lying in penultimate place in Ligue 1, having won just once in 2014/15, and rumours were rife that the former Sporting coach was about to lose his job. 

But in his characteristic low-profile style, and sticking to his philosophy of building a side based on a rock solid defence, Jardim has slowly but surely turned it around to such an extent that at the time of writing Les Rouges et Blancs are lying third in the table, four points behind leaders PSG, and with a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League again - at the very least. 

And all this while orchestrating a stunning performance in this season's Champions League. After finishing top of a group containing Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen and Zenit - conceding just one goal in the process - Monaco caused a sensation by beating Arsenal 3-1 in London in the first leg of the last-16 tie, completing the victory in the home leg to set up a quarter-final clash against Italian champions Juventus. 

Seleção trio shine 

Monaco's brilliant season has been particularly pleasing, not to mention beneficial, for Portuguese football. After a poor first season in France, João Moutinho has found his very best form and is the team's key player. As evidenced in Portugal's recent win over Serbia, Moutinho has carried his sparkling form into the international arena. 

Likewise, Ricardo Carvalho, who has been brought back into the Seleção fold by Fernando Santos, has shown that class is ageless, with key contributions wearing a Portugal shirt since his recall. 

Yet the most exciting news is the progress of Bernardo Silva. The 20-year-old midfielder has been outstanding for the French club and is increasingly showing signs that Portugal have a world-class talent in the making. Just this weekend Silva scored two goals against Caen in a 3-0 win that simply oozed class. 

One thing unites all four Portuguese protagonists at the club. In sharp contrast to the image of most modern-day footballers, they are all unflashy and hard-working professionals, who prefer to do their talking on the pitch. 

Portuguese eyes will certainly turn to Turin on Tuesday as Monaco attempt to cause another surprise in the world's greatest club competition. Jardim's side will again start underdogs, but that will suit them just fine. 

by Tom Kundert