Select a region
Hundreds of jubilant Portuguese football fans flooded the streets of St Helier late last night to celebrate their team’s progression to the Euro finals.
Two goals, both in the second half, one by Cristiano Ronaldo, the other by Nani, secured victory over the last of the remaining home nations in the competition: Wales.
Portugal will now face the winner of tonight’s game between Germany and hosts France, in the final in Paris on Sunday. The last time Portugal were in the final they lost 1 – 0 to Greece on home soil in 2004.
The focus for the celebrations in St Helier was around Minden Place multi-storey car park where there are numerous Portuguese restaurants and shops.
Shortly after the final whistle, cars flying flags and hooting their horns starting doing circuits of town. But, as supporters leaving their homes, restaurants and pubs started to gather outside the car park, police closed off the roads to traffic.
Despite so many people being packed in to such a small area – including babies in prams – no one was injured and the partying was good-natured. Even people not involved, who just happened to be passing through on their way home after a night out, were made to feel welcome, and stopped to take photographs.
What will it be like on Sunday?
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.