Roberto Martínez, the coach of Portugal, acknowledged his opponents' challenges and expressed his happiness with the draw for the Euro2024 football tournament's group stage. He also underlined the significance of starting the competition later.

“Being in Group F is wonderful news for us. We'll have more time to get ready for the opening game. That's crucial for us,” said Roberto Martínez in the mixed area of Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie, the venue of the draw.

Portugal, the 2016 winners, will play the winner of play-offs route C (Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, or Kazakhstan) in addition to Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Kazakhstan. They will play their first game against the Czechs in Leipzig on June 18.

“They are formidable rivals. Without a coach, the Czech Republic is a bit of an uncertain quantity. Turkey defeated Wales and Croatia in their qualification group. They are a talented, youthful, and experienced group. We wish to be well prepared. Despite our excellent qualifying performance, we have no edge in the competition. We must be ready,” the 50-year-old coach stated.

Following their opening encounter with the Czech Republic, Portugal will play the Turks in Dortmund on June 22. Then, on June 26, they will play the side that advances through route C of the play-offs, which is set to take place in March, to round off the group stage.

The European Championship of 2024 will be held in Germany from June 14–July 14, 2024.

Author

A passionate Irish journalist with a love for cycling, politics and of course Portugal especially their sausage rolls.

Rory Mc Ginn