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After a day's break in the European Football Championship, the knockout stage begins on Thursday. The first teams to compete in the quarterfinals will be the national teams of the Czech Republic and Portugal.
The head coach of the Czech Republic, Michal Bilek, who became the winner of Group A, did not hide in a press conference that the dangerous Portuguese players will force the Czechs to play a more defensive style of football.
"We know that Portugal has dangerous players in the middle and front of the field. I would highlight Nani, Postiga, and Ronaldo. We have this in mind, so these players will turn our tactics into a more defensive one. We cannot play like we did against Russia. We gave them freedom and the Russians punished us. Nani and Ronaldo will punish us if we do the same. So we do not want to repeat the same mistakes," said the specialist.
According to the Czech coach, the key to success for his players is teamwork: "Since the qualifiers, we have done everything as a team. We do not have bright stars, except for Tomas Rosicky and Petr Cech. The team spirit is great, and if we defeat the Portuguese, it will be only because of teamwork."
The head coach of the Portuguese national team, Paulo Bento, noted that it is most important for the Portuguese to maintain their style of play no matter what happens.
"Even in difficult times, we must remain true to our style of play. We must keep cool nerves and stay focused, then see what the Czechs will show on the field. I think I will not make changes in the lineup, and the same eleven players who played in the group stage will have managed to regain both physical and mental strength," said P. Bento.
On Wednesday, on the eve of the quarterfinal, P. Bento turned 43. The strategist would like not only himself but all of Portugal to be happy: "I will try to transform personal happiness into team joy. My greatest desire is to bring happiness to all the people of Portugal after the quarterfinal match."
