by Bettingrunner on 29 March 2016
Hello Sam, tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m currently a college student in the United States, and am a passionate follower of the Portuguese National team, though I have no ancestral or cultural roots to the country. My first exposure to the sport of football was during the 2006 World Cup, when Portugal was voted the most entertaining team in the tournament. With Ronaldo on one wing, Figo on the other, and Deco in the middle, the 2006 Portuguese team deserved their title. Ever since then, I’ve been an avid follower of the team.
How did PortugalFutobol start?
I started PortugalFutbol in October of 2009 as a simple WordPress blog as an outlet for my passion for the sport in Portugal. At the time, the team was in the midst of a thrilling qualifying campaign, which saw sub-par performances necessitate a playoff against Bosnia, a team that was no pushover. I created the site simply as an outlet for my intense passion for the team.
What’s your role there?
At PortugalFutbol, I am owner/operator/everything else.
Who are the other main contributors?
At various times, we’ve had quite a few contributors. Mitchell Rua, Rui Miguel Martins, and Orlando Machado have all contributed prolifically to the site’s content.
How is PortugalFutobol different from other blogs?
PortugalFutbol isn’t all that different from PortuGOAL, the other large English-language Portuguese football website. Initially, PortugalFutbol focused solely on the Portuguese National Team, and as such, all content was tied to the team. PortuGOAL has always been, and continues to be, much more wide-reaching. My attempt was never to compete with PortuGOAL, but rather to give another perspective.
What are some challenges you face?
The largest challenge I face is finding time to write meaningful, relevant articles. Because of this, I’ve moved away from composing match reports and the like, and have tried to focus my energy more on writing opinion pieces and more in-depth analyses.
Let’s talk about football. In your opinion, who is the greatest Portuguese football player of all times?
Eusebio, Ronaldo, and Figo are three of the greatest in Portugal, but I believe that Rui Costa is an extremely underappreciated player. He was one of the most important players in a very successful AC Milan team during the mid-2000s, and was part of an equally impressive Fiorentina side before that. It’s a shame that he never had the opportunity to lift a major trophy with Portugal during his career.
If you could go back in time, name one match you would like to attend?
I would really love to attend Porto’s 2004 Champions League final victory over Monaco. It must’ve been insane in the stadium.
Follow Sam on Twitter @PortuFutbol