MANICHE

Like Miroslav Mecir had it for the Swedish tennis stars in the Eighties, Portugal’s Maniche seems to have developed a special taste for the Dutch team. In 2004, Maniche’s curling shot put the Netherlands out of the Euro Cup. On Sunday, the Chelsea midfielder repeated it again when his wonderful strike sent Van Basten’s men packing back to Amsterdam.

It was a great shot that produced the game’s defining moment in the 23 rd minute. The Netherlands were threatening to snatch the initiative, but it was Portugal who scored the all-important goal from their first significant attack.

Deco crossed dangerously from the right for Pauleta, who dropped a first-time ball back to Maniche. The midfielder did brilliantly well to make space for himself and hammer a right-footed drive into the top corner.

Maniche, real name: Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro, was nicknamed after Eighties’ Benfica Danish midfielder Michael Manniche. He began his career in the junior team of Benfica and is known for his superb long rangers and also for his teeth, as some Portuguese fans call him ‘The Beaver’.

He won the Uefa Cup and Champions League, as well as two Portuguese league titles with Porto. He has now rejoined ex-Porto coach Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.