In a monthly feature Craig Pinto will be tracking the progress of Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning heroes throughout the season.
It’s ok to pinch yourselves, Seleção fans. It wasn’t a dream. Our countrymen, representing our little country with a big heart, are champions of Europe. As we lock this summer’s triumph away in our hearts and in our minds forever, we will keep an eye on where our boys will be and how they are playing this coming club season.
With the emergence of young stars in Renato Sanches, Raphael Guerreiro, João Mário, amongst others, as well as the old guard of Ronaldo, Pepe, Nani, and Quaresma, we’ll keep you up to date so you can keep tabs on your favorite players from this summer’s glorious triumph.
Think of it as a “Where are they now?” Seleção version.
Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio, Sporting (POR); Anthony Lopes, Lyon (FRA); Eduardo, Chelsea (ENG).
Defenders: Bruno Alves, Cagliari (ITA); Cedric, Southampton (ENG); Eliseu, Benfica (POR); Jose Fonte, Southampton (ENG); Pepe, Real Madrid (SPA); Raphael Guerreiro, Borussia Dortmund (GER); Ricardo Carvalho, Monaco (FRA).
Midfielders: Adrien Silva, Sporting (POR); Andre Gomes, Barcelona (SPA); Danilo, Porto (POR); João Mário, Sporting (POR); João Moutinho, Monaco (POR); Rafa Silva, Braga (POR); Renato Sanches, Bayern Munich (GER); Vieirinha, Wolfsburg (GER); William Carvalho, Sporting (POR).
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid (SPA); Eder, Lille (FRA); Nani, Valencia (SPA); Ricardo Quaresma, Besiktas (TUR);
Let’s start by rounding up the players who have new clubs:
Bruno Alves, Fenerbahce (TUR) to Cagliari (ITA), free transfer
Eduardo, Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) to Chelsea (ENG) for
Andre Gomes, Valencia (SPA) to Barcelona (SPA) for €35M (with €20M in incentives)
Raphael Guerreiro, Lorient (FRA) to Borussia Dortmund (GER) for €12M
Nani, Fenerbahce (TUR) to Valencia (SPA) for €8.5M
Renato Sanches, Benfica (POR) to Bayern Munich (GER) for €35M (with €45M in incentives)
We will now focus on two of Portugal’s biggest young stars. Renato Sanches was named Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016, while many believed it was a accolade that Raphael Guerreiro should have scooped.
Renato Sanches
An off-season snub of Manchester United, who supposedly were hesitant about his asking price compared to his value, has landed the Portuguese starlet at Bayern Munich. Coming off of a Liga NOS winning club season in his debut campaign with Benfica, his meteoric rise through the club was nothing short of spectacular.
Though many in Portugal initially thought it may be more hype than anything else, considering he had played approximately 8 months at first-team level, Sanches proved his worth in France by injecting a spark A Selecao hadn’t seen since 2004 when a then 19 year-old Cristiano Ronaldo was dubbed as the next big thing, and we’ve seen how that has played out.
Sanches now brings his energetic youth to a Bayern Munich side that is coming off back-to-back Bundesliga and German Cup doubles, as well as three consecutive semi-final showings in the Champions League. Bayern players Mats Hummels and Philipp Lahm have already expressed their excitement at having Sanches play alongside them, and we are just as excited to watch how he will perform this season. An early report from Bayern camp is saying that Sanches will miss 3-4 weeks due to an injury, which was said to have been picked up at Euro 2016.
Raphael Guerreiro
Another revelation this Euro 2016 was the Portuguese left-back. Coming in for an injured Fábio Coentrão, who patrolled the left side with speed and grace, many weren’t sure whether Guerreiro was up to the job. Diminutive in stature, Guerreiro opened plenty of eyes during the tournament, and when the Team of the Tournament was announced, it was no surprise that he was named the best left-back of Euro 2016.
Guerreiro plied his trade at Lorient in France in Ligue 1 before making the jump to Borussia Dortmund, finalising the deal during the tournament. He possesses an elite touch on the ball, witnessed multiple times when he sent crosses into the box, none more perfect than his cross that found Ronaldo’s head versus Wales. He is also a left-footed option for free kicks, and displayed his ability at striking a dead ball by sending a free kick crashing against cross bar in extra time versus France.
Expectations at Dortmund will be high, as they are looking to reclaim the Bundesliga title and make noise this year in the Champions League. In his debut performance for Dortmund, Guerreiro came on as a second half sub and was positioned at left-back, left-wing, as well as centre-mid, already showing off his versatility against Sunderland.
by Craig Pinto (twitter: @CraigPinto49)
