Maniche left out of Portugal’s squad

Inter’s Maniche was a surprise omission when Luiz Felipe Scolari announced his squad for the European Championship.

Former Porto and Benfica midfielder Maniche starred in the previous European Championship and World Cup and was a regular starter in Portugal’s stuttering qualifiers.

But, instead, his brother Jorge Ribeiro of Boavista was included in the squad.

Scolari refused to explain the reason for leaving him out but said that expectations were as high for the team as when it placed second on home soil.

“The expectations are the same," Scolari said in a televised news conference. “We have great qualities to clinch the qualification in the first phase. I have total belief in this squad.”