Palinha: I don’t want to beat around the bush, injuries and substitutes at Bayern affect my position in the national team

Hupu October 7th News Portugal's national team midfielder Palinia performed media responsibilities. How does the

team deal with this potential promotion situation? Or should we face it one by one?

First of all, as always, I am eager to advance as soon as possible, which is our goal. We will have two home games, which is special for everyone, and the home game feels different. We hope to advance as soon as possible, and if we can ensure advancement now and celebrate together, that would be the ideal situation.

Do you think Neves' absence will be worried?

I have always believed that I can start from scratch. My job in the national team, no matter how much or less playing time, means I am ready to play at any time.

I went all out in training, and everyone who was with me and knew me knew my dedication. I will wait for the opportunity as always. If I go on stage, I will be prepared; if not, I will be prepared.

Of course, I always wanted to play and seize the opportunity, but it was decided by the head coach, so it all depends on how I trained.

You haven't become a national team starter for about a year. Is this also related to your experience at Bayern? Do you want to regain a more important role now?

I have this idea, and I think so myself. Maybe this has something to do with my experience at Bayern, so there is no need to beat around the bush. The experience of the national team usually reflects a lot of our experiences at the club level, and that's true.

For me, it was not an easy season—especially last season—especially with injuries. After that, I didn’t get the chance I thought I deserved after recovery. This may have affected my playing time with the national team.

When we perform well in the club, it is easier to get playing time in the national team, but this is all phased.

Our careers are characterized by stages. Now I am also experiencing a very happy stage in my life, a new club, and a new project. Football, as well as life, is very short-lived. I just have to enjoy it and try my best to seize all the opportunities.

Do you think Portugal has a clear and reversible temperament now?

Especially now, it is obviously not just because we won the UEFA Championship, which in itself gives us a lot of confidence. We are in a stage where we look around and feel the confidence of our teammates and their strength.

This kind of strength has always been there, but we also feel that the team's spirit and unity are stronger than in the past. Maybe this is exactly what we were missing in the past. I saw a united team, eager for a championship.

We are very motivated, not only the players, but also the staff. Most importantly, this has a lot to do with this defeat.

At Tottenham, you seem to be in a more positive period. What changes have you made compared to Bayern?

I feel like I just got opportunities that might not have in the past. That's about it. I felt the full trust of those who wished I was coming to Tottenham, especially the head coach, who was the main person in charge of the team.

When we feel this trust and are needed by somewhere, we should choose this path. I made this decision easily.

Not only because it's the Premier League, but also because I feel comfortable working with me on the other side. These opportunities allowed me to see my abilities. I'm so happy and satisfied with this new challenge and I just want to enjoy it. And, in this space where the national team is playing, enjoy every minute again. Before the UEFA Nations League final, Roberto Martinez talked about himself, about the difficult year he had spent, and praised you. How do you think about this?

I think I have always been committed to the national team. Now I can say that, luckily, I've been here for several years and it makes me very proud. I went through different stages almost every moment.

This is a sign of my commitment to this team. Whenever I am recruited, it is a great honor to be able to come back to play for our national team.

You understand my characteristics as a player and you also know what I can bring. One advantage of our midfield is that all players have completely different characteristics.

I, Vitinia, João Neves, Bruno and Bernardo. We can bring different traits, which is helpful; it is a valuable asset for the coach. I am still in 2020, and I am still eager to help the national team. This desire has always been there.

He has scored 3 goals this season, will he aim to break the record of 4 goals?

I am always full of passion when celebrating and don’t score many goals, so it can be explained. This largely reflects my inner feelings when I scored.

I hope to score more goals in a few months. I also set a goal for this season: to be able to do more than in the past few years. But I won't pay much attention to this goal.

This clearly shows that I have been working hard. This passionate way really reflects my emotions. I just had a very tough season and maybe I celebrated more enthusiastically because I had everything accumulated inside.

Being able to dedicate every moment of success to my children... This is the first thing that comes to my mind. I think all of this adds up to me so excited.