The manager was glad to see his side reach the next stage after a draw with Italy
Portugal coach Fernando Santos was left satisfied after his team moved into the Nations League Finals following a 0-0 draw with Italy.
A point in Milan on Saturday was enough for the Euro 2016 champions to become the first side to qualify for next year’s Finals, which they are set to host.
While not particularly happy with Portugal’s performance, Santos was glad to secure top spot in Group 3.
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“I am satisfied. To be present in the final phase of this competition is always important for Portugal, shows the quality of Portuguese football,” he said.
“It’s fair, in a very difficult game, with much more suffering than I expected.
“The first half was very difficult, we had a lot of difficulty adapting, mainly to the defensive actions.
“To defend well isn’t to have many players behind the ball, it is to manoeuvre the opponent and not allow them to play.
“When you don’t do this, you have difficulty playing too. We were poorly positioned defensively and when we won the ball, we couldn’t play.”
Portugal are unbeaten in the group even without Cristiano Ronaldo, who remains focused on his start with Juventus.
The reigning European champions are set to host Poland, who are relegated, on Tuesday in the final match of the group.
