PORTUGAL: FOOTBALL/SOCCCER - Coach Paulo Bento predicts the winner of Euro 2012 will come from Portugal's group of death, which also includes Germany, Netherlands and Denmark
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863936
PORTUGAL: FOOTBALL/SOCCCER - Coach Paulo Bento predicts the winner of Euro 2012 will come from Portugal's group of death, which also includes Germany, Netherlands and Denmark
- Title: PORTUGAL: FOOTBALL/SOCCCER - Coach Paulo Bento predicts the winner of Euro 2012 will come from Portugal's group of death, which also includes Germany, Netherlands and Denmark
- Date: 15th May 2012
- Summary: BENTO POSING WITH CHILDREN DRESSED IN PORTUGAL'S UNIFORM
- Embargoed: 30th May 2012 13:00
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- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAEBTSG1DV4C1J8CXG5EVOAUW2H
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- Story Text: The winner of Euro 2012 is likely to come from the "group of death" of Portugal, Germany, Netherlands and Denmark, Portugal coach Paulo Bento said on Monday ( May 14) after presenting the tournament's squad which included rising star striker Nelson Oliveira.
Portugal drew the short straw in the Euro qualifiers and is braced for tough battles in Group B but Bento remains confident and sets the bar to reach at least the tournament's quarter finals.
"We have a very clear objective, first to get to the quarter finals from this great competition which is the Euro, then naturally, to try and go as far as possible," the coach told journalists.
"It would not be surprising to see the next European champion coming out of our group," Bento said, adding that Germany are the favourites.
The coach's Euro 2012 squad announcement drew a few wild cards, namely the call-up of young promise Nelson Oliveira and Braga duo Custodio and Miguel Lopes.
"We are taking Nelson which is a player with different characteristics from the other strikers, one whose path in the national team has been one of constant ascension which earned him room in his club (Benfica)," Bento said.
The 20-year-old Oliveira, who jumped into the spotlight at the last under-20 World Cup where he scored four goals as Portugal reached the final and was since dubbed Portugal's Cantona, will dispute a place upfront with Zaragoza's Helder Postiga and Besikta's Hugo Almeida.
"Nelson is a young man with great quality, potential and will logically try to make him useful for us".
Bento spoke in the medieval town of Obidos, where Portugal will set up their training camp between May 21 and June 2nd before departing to Opalenica, their headquarters in Poland.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Sporting), Eduardo (Benfica), Beto (Cluj)
Defenders: Joao Pereira (Sporting), Bruno Alves (Zenit St Petersburg), Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valencia), Rolando (Porto), Miguel Lopes (Braga)
Midfielders: Carlos Martins (Granada), Joao Moutinho (Porto), Miguel Veloso (Genoa), Raul Meireles (Chelsea), Ruben Micael (Zaragoza), Custodio (Braga)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Helder Postiga (Zaragoza), Nani (Manchester United), Nelson Oliveira (Benfica), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Silvestre Varela (Porto) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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