What happened to the last Portuguese victors?

On Wednesday, Portugal will have the opportunity to win the European Under-17 Championship for the third time in its history. Eight years after his last coronation, what happened to the last winners of the competition?

If it does not provide certainty regarding the future success of its players, a Euro U17 win generally leaves lasting memories. A short-lived competition that represents a generation for life, and has its share of unforgettable moments.

A coronation that the Portugal U-17 team could witness on Wednesday, like their seniors, eight years ago. On May 21, 2016, the Portuguese generation of 1999 lifted the title of European champion, after defeating Spain in the final. Eight years later, what became of the heroes of this success?

Very great successes…

Among the players who represented the U-17 national team in the summer of 2016, several were later brought in to represent the main Seleção. This is especially the case for the goalkeeper, Diogo CostaAnd his right side, Diogo DalotBoth were recently called up to play at Euro 2024 this summer.

Tough men of the 1999 generation, the Diegos, who also formed a magic quartet that bears their name Diogo Light And Diogo QuirosHe also shared a locker room with a certain person Rafael Liao. On the other hand, and unlike the players mentioned above, the player who became one of the best players in the Italian League started the final match of the competition on the bench, before entering the game ten minutes before the end of the match.

…and some disappointments

However, not all of the Portuguese players participating in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship final had the same amount of success mentioned by the three internationals. Top scorer in the tournament with 7 goals scored in 6 matches. Like Gomez It has somewhat fallen under the radar despite the interesting potential. At 25 years old, the Bissau native now plays for Chornomorets in Ukraine, having played in several minor European football leagues.

It is also very far from fulfilling the hopes placed on it. Domingos Quina He was also one of the strong men of this Portuguese generation. In recent months, the attacking midfielder who passed through Chelsea has tried to relaunch himself at Vizela, after multiple complicated trials in England. Back to Portugal, which I also experienced Misak Djo. The winger was up front on the evening of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship final, and is currently playing for Mafra, in the Portuguese second league, after struggling to beat West Ham.

And the others?

For the majority of this amazing team, there is still hope for success, although their paths are not as linear as one might think. Shine in the youth categories, Gota He has since shown some glimpses of his talent during the two seasons he spent at Celtic, before moving to Saudi Arabia, where he currently plays. from his side, Gedson Fernandes He is building a strong reputation in Türkiye, where he is approaching a hundred matches played in the Premier League.

He became a regular player again at Benfica, Florentino Luis For now, his career has had its ups and downs, alternating between very good performances and periods of doubt. Notably loaned out to Getafe and Monaco in the past, the Portuguese midfielder has somewhat slowed his progress and is currently not part of the national coach's plans. Roberto Martinez. Also passed through AS Monaco, Robin Wenager He failed to meet the expectations placed on him, and therefore had to go on loan to Hellas Verona for the last six months, in order to give his young career a second chance.