This time Portugal want to win the final

Joao Mario, William Carvalho, Rafa Silva and Raphael Guerreiro were in the squad at the European Under-21 Championship a year ago when Portugal was denied the title by Sweden.

“I have lost a final last year and I hope this year things are different,” the 23-year-old Mario said Friday. “I’m sure that it’s the match of our lives because there’s nothing better than playing in a tournament like this one for our country.” 

Mario’s stock has certainly been on the rise in the last year. What he lacks in height, he makes up for with intelligent technique on the ball. The play maker has been linked with a post-Euro 2016 move from Sporting Lisbon to Inter Milan. “My only focus is on playing this final,” Mario said, avoiding discussing his club career at the Portugal training base south of Paris. 

If Mario needs advice on leaving Portugal for one of Europe’s bigger leagues, he only has to look across the dressing room at Ronaldo and Ricardo Carvalho. Ronaldo left Sporting for Manchester United in 2003. A year later, after impressing in central defense at Euro 2004, Carvalho earned a move from Porto to Chelsea. 

Ronaldo and Carvalho, veterans of the Euro 2004 final loss to Greece on home soil, are well placed to calm any anxieties heading into Sunday’s final at the Stade de France. 

“We have players who give us advice at certain moments in the match,” Mario said, without providing names. “They’re older and more experienced, that’s normal, but we’re also a bit cheeky towards them, which comes from our youth. The most important thing is to give the young players a chance, and the coach did.”

Older players are getting chances too from coach Fernando Santos.

At the other end of the age scale to Mario is 32-year-old Jose Fonte who has had to make the international grade the hard way. Five years ago, the defender was playing in the English third tier — the start of a rise to the Premier League with Southampton where he remains.