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The Portuguese national team will need dedicated leaders willing to take responsibility in order to qualify for the 2012 European Championship, says coach Paulo Bento.
"The task is difficult, that is obvious, because the numbers do not lie," said Bento. "But we are strong and talented enough to achieve it."
When asked how he would handle the egos of prominent players like Cristiano Ronaldo, the strategist said: "At this difficult time, we cannot afford to think first about individuals, rather than the team. I really like my footballers, but they will feel the demands and strictness."
The 41-year-old specialist replaced Carlos Queiroz, who was dismissed from the national team after earning only one point in the first two matches of the Old Continent qualification tournament with Cyprus and Norway.
"One point out of six possible is not good, we are in a complicated situation," added Bento, noting that Portugal has not missed a significant tournament final stage since 1998.
