played a good second half for the national team and was ill.

Rui Borges revealed, in his analysis of the thrashing of Rio Ave (4-0) , that Eduardo Quaresma and Fotis Ioannidis were ill, in addition to the already announced Maxi Araújo, and yet they still played. Furthermore, he said that Edu is a National Team  player.

Absences

“I’ve always been like this, I don’t complain. I’m grateful every day to be here. I always look at my daily life in a positive way. Edu, Maxi, and Fotis played while ill. Nobody sees it, but we know. Fotis [Ioannidis] and Maxi [Araújo] didn’t train, Edu woke up with some symptoms. He felt it in the first half. He played the second half like a national team player. Within our ideas, we find solutions and they respond.”

Quaresma in the National Team

The coach has to choose and decide. Now, clearly, based on his performances, he’s a national team player. But I’m not the coach. He’s been playing great games, and it’s not a recent thing. He’s been taking advantage of the opportunity. He benefited from the absence of Zeno and Diomande, and we have a lot of faith in him in his position. He’s been playing some excellent games. I’m happy for him. I can’t bring myself to be upset with him; he’s a very capable kid, but he’s grown a lot. He should continue like this, otherwise I’ll give him a piece of my mind. He’s more mature, more focused.

Maxi Araújo’s exhibitions

Maxi has responded well, scoring four goals both as a winger and as a full-back. He plays as a winger for the national team, in a different way, but he plays. He has his own characteristics. He has adapted well to what is asked of him. He gives us an attacking depth that Pote doesn’t. He brings something different.