I am very pleased to congratulate the National Soccer Team for having reached the final stage of the European F.A. Cup which will be held in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. Both players and the technical team are to be congratulated for having believed in their possibilities until attaining yesterday’s result.

I hope the team equals or even overtakes the excellent results obtained in the previous matches and that the Portuguese continue to feel the pride and the enthusiasm which so spontaneously and genuinely brought the country together.

On behalf of all the Portuguese and in my own personal name I wish you all, players and technical team, the greatest success in this so important competition in which, at all times, sportsmanship and competitive spirit must be the master guidelines.

Aníbal Cavaco Silva