Founded: 1914 UEFA Affiliated: 1954 EURO Appearances: 5 EURO Titles: 0 Portugal players could recall the 2004 memories to motivate themselves ahead of this year's edition in Austria and Switzerland. A painful defeat to Greece in the final at home four years ago demolished Portugal's hopes of lifting their first major trophy in history. Portugal will be out to make amends and ensure that 2004's unfortunate memories wouldn't come to haunt them again. They are one of the favorites to go all the way as they boast a decent squad that includes several world class players. History Portugal are yet to win a major tournament, but they came close to doing so more than once. In the 1966 World Cup, a Eusebio-inspired Portugal side dazzled the world with impressive results. Portugal reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by hosts England 2-1. They finished third in the tournament after overcoming Soviet Union. It was their best finish ever in the most prestigious tournament in the world. Portugal could have repeated that feat in the 2006 tournament in Germany, only to lose to the hosts 3-1 in the third-place play-off. Portugal's first participation in the European Championship was in 1984. They were knocked out of the competition in the semi-finals following a defeat to tournament hosts France. The team had to wait for 12 years to take part in the European showpiece. In 1996, they were eliminated from the quarter finals after a 1-0 defeat to eventual runners-up Czech Republic.
Scolari Four years later, Portugal caught everyone's attention with some splendid displays that saw them top their group, which featured heavyweights England and Germany in addition to Romania. They managed to progress to the semis but were defeated by a Zinedine Zidane golden goal that helped France book their place in the final at Portugal's expense. In the 2004 tournament at home soil, Greece proved to be Portugal's unfancied opponent. Greece had stunned Portugal when they beat them 2-1 in the opener before repeating that feat in the final with a 1-0 triumph. Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazilian) The 59-year-old Scolari made a name for himself when he coached a number of Brazilian teams, most notably Gremio. After a successful spell with minnows Criciuma, whom he guided to Brazilian Cup success in 1991, Scolari was appointed as Gremio coach in 1994. Big Phil won a host of trophies with Gremio such as the Coppa Libertadores (the South American equivalent of the Champions League), the Brazilian Cup and the local championship. He also had similar success with Palmeiras in the late 1990s before making the big move of his career- taking charge of the Brazilian national team. Scolari's task was never easy, given Brazil's disappointment after losing the 1998 World Cup final as well as suffering an embarrassing exit from the 2001 Coppa America at the hands of Honduras. His work was marred by controversy after he refused to call-up Brazil's legendary striker Romario, who had physical problems. Scolari stood firm on his decision to ignore Romario despite pleas from different parties. He defied his critics by leading Brazil to their fifth World Cup title in 2002 after a 2-0 victory over Germany in the final. However, he resigned afterwards due to problems with the Brazilian Football Confederation. Despite the World Cup achievement, Scolari's work wasn't appreciated as many people thought that it's only natural for any coach to lead a star-studded Brazil side to glory. He then took charge of Portugal and helped them make a good impression in EURO 2004 on home soil. Scolari, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City, announced that he will resign following EURO 2008. Tactics/ Star Player - Cristiano Ronaldo
