[Soprano]

Have you all seen the news about the way Portuguese players behaved? I read this all on Portuguesesoccer.com They are totally disgracing us like we had no argument at all! I'm not sure but I think allot of it is by English papers and websites! Check this one out on
http://www.soccernet.com/euro2000/news/20000629portugalexit.html

This isn't even the half of it!

"They bowed out of the event behaving like a cross between petulant five-year-olds and wild-eyed hoodlums; screaming, spitting and shoving, bullying the referee and his assistant in a manner which went beyond mere intimidation."

and it ends like this

"When Dimas moaned about the linesman, saying he 'spoiled the match . . . and was bad for soccer,' he apparently did not recognise that it was he and his team-mates who had done the real disservice to the game."

this was all written by some bum named Ian Chadband


We lose because of questionable call and we are the bandits! I don't blame any of our players I would have been raging too!

 

[Marco]

Who cares...we are in deep shi_t.

Figo---1-2 Match ban
Gomes--5-8 Match Ban
Bento--5-8 Match Ban
Rui.J--2-4 Match Ban



At least we still have Rui Costa, JVP, Baia, Conecaio....I fear we are in for another World Cup sans Portugal

 

[Soprano]

Wow is it really that bad? Anyone gonna get banned? Suspension are a definite!

 

[Marco]

Well Gomes and Bento are definite. Rui Jorge faked headbutting the official and Figo took his shirt off. I hope that UEFA implememts the "Star Player" rule with FIGO......If FIGO gets one match fine, he'll miss the Estonia game..but we need him for the 2nd group game against Holland.

Either way our players did act stupid at the end of the game and I hope the repercussions are not felt at 2002

 

[Soprano]

When does the World cup qualifing start and who's in there group is it Holland,Estonia,Ireland and who's the last?They did act stupid but I can sympatize with them. In the heat of the moment I'm sure they felt we can win this then all of a sudden their world drops from under them because of a crap call! I'm sure at the time they could have cared less about the consequences thinking maybe they could change things but now I bet they(and me) had it all back!

[Edited by Soprano on 30-06-2000 at 06:12]

 

[Rob Fernandes]

The English media (of which Soccernet is part) have been very complimentary and enthusiastic about Portugal, but you knew that in their hearts they were really waiting for an opportunity to put 'little' Portugal back in their place.

Fot them, the football was nice to watch while it lasted but they don't like the idea of us being better, so the moment we step out of line they love it.

One of the countries leading papers, 'The Times' today ran a disgraceful comment/story titled 'Why UEFA must throw the book at Portugal'.
I can't understand why there is such excitement about punishing Portugal. I have complained to the Times - the basis of the writer's argument for punishing Portugal is that it was definately a penalty.
How can anyone ever prove that!?

Xavier himself had the best argument. You try standing up to or blocking a shot without your hands at either side to balance! The idea that he moved his hand across in front of the ball is pathetic. No matter how many times I try, to instinctively move your arm up out of the way, you always move it out and away from your body - this is exactly what he did too.

Therefore we can't say it was deliberate, but we also can't say it wasn't - the main issue is that there was definately a DOUBT.
So, these so-called journalists shouldn't be demanding punishment of Portugal when there was a doubt, and if there was a doubt we had every right to be furious: The linesman should know that if there is any doubt - ESPECIALLY with just three minutes left in a tournament semi final - you just don't give a penalty. That is basic.

The British media are showing their true colours now though, insisting we be punished. Put us back in our place.

For those of you in the US or Canada, there is also a big news story at the moment about the main suspect (French) in the murder of British student, who had been in a Lisbon jail awaiting extradition to France. He was a high-risk prisoner and was meant to be supervised. He managed to kill himself during the Portugal-France game, and the British media are now excitedly reporting incompetent Portuguese Prison Guards who were too busy watching the football. Its all the same thing.

The English media are arrogant and like to take every opportunity to criticise other countries. It's a superiority complex.

Wednesday was a desperate disappointment, but we'll always have 3-2 to remind these b**tards of!

Rob Fernandes

p.s. actually, to be fair, all the England fans I know (the real people) also believe we were robbed, and said they would have been equally furious at being knocked out like that....

 

[Razor]

"Irresponsible Journalism" and "British Journalism" are one in the same, and I'd like to think most people in the world (including most British citizens) know it already. Pick up any London daily on any day and be your own judge.

They're simply lashing out publicly to deflect the European scrutiny on their country in wake of the 25+ years of hooliganistic terror some of its supporters have waged on the continent. They figure that if they can make someone else look like bad guys for getting upset and screaming at a referee after a bad call, then people will conveniently forget years and years broken store-front windows, beatings, stabbings, and murders at the hand of their fans.

As an aside - the commentators were embarassingly pro-Holland yesterday during the semifinal with Italia. More objective British journalism.

 

[Pablo75]

1/ The Time and the rest of their ilk have *nothing* to say before UEFA throw the book at their team. sigh.

2/ I live in France and I was waiting for a reporter to pick up on the Rizala story and the fact that it was during the match. Only the British made the link. France was complaining about the Portuguese justice system (and as someone versed in law, their complaints were invalid).

As far as punishments I understand that they won't be delivered until Sunday.

 

[Santamaria]

The english press are very good at indignation, it's not just this, they have a negative attitude about just everything.

Unfortunately most people believe what they read

 

[Dan]

I live in England and I understand how bad this journalism is. The papers after the game were all disgracing us. Brian Woolnough of The Sun was probably one of the worst culprits - claiming that "Euro 2000 was a marvelous championship until Portugal tried to assault the officials". What he clearly forgets is how England fans disgraced this country and Euro 2000 by hooliganism in Charleroi.

The tabloids have a go at everyone. There was in fact very little on the actual game in the papers - but on how we had somehow managed "to ruin Euro 2000" with a bit of protesting.

But don't let the press get to you - as soon as they see someone of the floor they will beat you and get their scoop.

 

[Game Rod]

Psychiatrists call this post-traumatic-stress, which in this case is a direct consequence of that 3-2 score No further explanation needed.

 

[SLB]

I think the players were totally justified and uefa are all idiots who are only interested in money which portugal cant give but which french can.
The times compared the portuguese players to the english hooligans i mean please the english should get a grip jealousy is really bitting and just coz we have proved to be better then them we get insulted i mean get a grip.