Miguel A. Lopes / Lusa
Ten years later, that ‘white glove slap’ still “hurts” the French coach. At issue will be an alleged foul committed by João Moutinho, who would assist Ederzito in the 109th minute to give the Portuguese team the title.
Éder’s mythical goal in the 2016 Euro Cup final, which gave Quinas the European Championship, continues to score Didier Deschampswho is still the French coach who will, ten years later, lead the Gauls in the 2026 World Cup.
Defeated by Portugal at the Stade de France, already in extra time, Deschamps returned this Tuesday to talking about the night the Portuguese team won the first European title in its history — more specifically, the unlikely ‘ugly duckling’ shot that became the most important goal in the history of Quinas.
In an interview with Ouest-France, Deschamps avoided talking about regrets, preferring to classify the defeat as a “great disappointment”.
“I don’t like to talk about regrets, but rather about great disappointments. The 2016 final in France hurtsbecause we hadn’t won a title since 2000 [com exceção da Taça das Confederações de 2001 e 2003]. Fortunately, many players were able to live the 2018 experience,” said the French coach.
Deschamps went further, stating that a recent FIFA arbitration panel would have concluded that the Portuguese goal would have been disallowed if VAR had already existed at the time.
“I learned, in a meeting with FIFA, that Portugal’s goal [de Éder, na final do Euro2016] would have been invalidated, if there had already been VAR, due to a foul that occurred at the beginning of the playfor a situation that is now obvious to everyone”, he said. But “this does not change the course of history”, he stressed.
The decisive moment came in extra time, when Éder, launched by Fernando Santos, shot from outside the area and beat Hugo Lloris, in the 109th minute. It was the goal that gave Portugal a 1-0 victory and a historic place in European football.
Éder’s goal, in itself, has nothing to highlight — no offside, handball, ball out, no clear foul in the duel he won with Koscielny. What fuels the doubt is the immediately preceding move, the foul referred to by Deschamps that supposedly happened moments before.
The French ‘crying’ motif will be João Moutinho’s foot against Griezmanna move in which the experienced Portuguese midfielder gains control of the ball and passes it to William Carvalho, who in turn passes it to Quaresma, who passes it back to Moutinho… who passes it to Éder. And the rest is history.
Koscielny himself, beaten by Eder, considered himself conditioned in the play, due to a questionable handball that occurred two minutes before the goal.
“I could have defended differently if referee Mark Clatenburg hadn’t shown me a yellow card beforehand [aos 107′, dois minutos antes do golo]. I still discussed the matter but he left”, confessed the French central defender, three months after the game, in a press conference cited by The ball did not hit Koscielny’s hand in that play, but rather the hand of… Eder.
Everyone involved recalled the historic moment, on Channel 11:
