Portugal won the Euro 2016 final against hosts France for the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, said defender Pepe.
Captain Ronaldo left the Stade de France pitch in tears after 25 minutes following Dimitri Payet’s tackle.
But Portugal won their first major tournament thanks to substitute Eder’s 25-yard strike in extra time.
“It was tough to lose our main man, the man who could at any moment score a goal,” said Pepe. “We said we would win it for him and we managed to do that.”
Pepe, who plays alongside Ronaldo for Real Madrid, added his team had performed like “warriors on the pitch”.
“There was a lot of suffering, it was a very intense game,” he said.
Although Portugal had never won a major tournament before, this was their fourth European Championship semi-final or final in the past five tournaments – reaching the quarter-finals the other time.
They lost their only previous final – as Euro 2004 hosts – when underdogs Greece left a 19-year-old Ronaldo in tears. Sunday’s final saw roles reversed, with Portugal upsetting the host nation to win the final
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