The Euros hoopla has long-since subsided, but former Barcelona and France defender Eric Abidal has stirred the pot between finalists France and Portugal once more.
Portugal were, to many, the villains of the piece; they reached the semi-final without winning a game in normal time before downing a depleted Wales. They entered the final against the swashbuckling host nation who, for the most part, had won over many of their critics both at home and abroad.
Of course, we know what happened next, but Portugal's famous victory seemed all the more unlikely when Cristiano Ronaldo - who had drawn the ire of fans across the continent for his incessant, furious tantrums throughout his side's campaign - was forced to bow out of the game prematurely due to injury. His devotion to the Portuguese cause has never wavered nor been questioned; his leadership at international level, however, has always faced scrutiny - his Portuguese teammates often seem more terrified than inspired by the three-time Ballon D'Or winner, unwilling to express themselves for fear of evoking a volcanic eruption of some description from their captain.
That changed somewhat as Ronaldo, interestingly, willed his side on from the sidelines, offering nothing but encouragement as an inferior Portuguese outfit threw down with the French.
Former France defender Abidal believes Ronaldo's untimely departure from the tournament's showcase had a massive impact in the outcome of the match. Speaking to Grup14.com, Abidal said:
With the organisations like UEFA, it's totally different. There's more opportunities. But now we look at Portugal, you don't have to play good, you just have to win. Penalties or not, you just have to win. If you win then you continue in the competition. This is the competition and you have to have the correct mentality.
France had a good tournament, they were unlucky because if Gignac scored then it would have been finished, give us the trophy. Ronaldo was out because he was injured and it was a problem for France and an advantage for Portugal [he laughs]. Portugal was more relaxed without Ronaldo, the players there normally play for Ronaldo but without him the team spirit is different, there was no stress. But for France, it was a shock because Ronaldo is not on the pitch, we have to fight more.
Look who scored the goal for Portugal, some guy from the back who has never played before. This is football, when it's your time then it's your time.
It's certainly a cheeky dig at a long-time adversary from the former Barcelona man, but it also makes a lot of sense based on what we saw in France this summer. Although we should point out that Eder, the scorer of Portugal's winner, is indeed a striker, and plays for Lille in Abidal's native land.
Abidal also revealed that since his retirement he has begun studying a Masters in management to assist people in getting back into football following release, injury, and retirement.
[Grup14]
