Renato Garrido feels Portugal ready to win
“ANDwe are on the right path, with the great effort of everyone, and we want to continue the work started in the internship in Luso in Paredes, “said the selector to journalists, during a second phase of the internship that ended today in Paredes, the stage of the competition.
With two days to go before the European Open, Renato Garrido focused on the opening game, against Germany, on the 15th, considering it “important to start well”.
“The first games are always fundamental, especially in a tough championship and without breaks like this one”, underlined the coach, referring to the format of the competition, which puts everyone against everyone, plus this year an extra day for the final. .
Renato Garrido insisted on the theme and recalled that “it changes a lot” and requires “some successes” to compete in an international competition with the current season, hoping that the ‘family spirit’ that worked as an asset at the World Cup in Barcelona (Portugal beat Argentina in the final of 2019, after penalties) now prevails in the European.
“Our players have a lot of experience from clubs and national teams and are well prepared, but it will be tough. Portugal, as well as Spain and Italy, who have new coaches, are chronic candidates, but France is growing. compete in the best championships and one day it will surprise, “said Renato Garrido.
Portugal will try to rescue the European title lost in A Coruña, for Spain, in 2018, the year the competition returns to Portugal. For the European Championship in Paredes, the Portuguese match also takes the momentum of the good moment in the modality, after the world title won in 2019.
“I deal well with favoritism and we are even prepared to be present in the final [Europeu]”, revealed the selector, who only lacks the title of European Champion of national teams in the curriculum.
Renato Garrido said, by the way, that it is necessary to continue winning titles to gain ‘eternity’.
“We were world champions, but we are not the best in the world. We have values for that, but for that, it is necessary to continue the titles”, concluded.
In the last week of the preparatory stage, in Paredes, the Portuguese team played and won two particulars, one against AD Valongo, of the main Portuguese roller hockey league, by 2-1, and, more recently, on Friday, against the competition in the European France, by 3-1.
The 54th edition of the European Championship will take place in Paredes, at Multiusos, between the 15th (Monday) and the 20th (Saturday).
In addition to Portugal, the competition will include the participation of Germany (Portugal’s first opponent, on the 15th), France (16), Italy (17), Spain (18) and Andorra (19). All matches in Portugal take place at 21:45.
The 20th is reserved for the final, which will join the top two classified in the championship format.