Luís Freire picks Sporting duo for U21s, snubs standout star | OneFootball

Luís Freire, coach of Portugal’s Under-21 team, revealed this Friday, March 20, the squad list for the upcoming 2027 European Championship qualifying matches, against Azerbaijan (on the 27th) and Scotland (on the 31st), with several new faces. From Sporting, João Simões, João Muniz, and Rodrigo Ribeiro, who is currently on loan, have been called up.

One of the main surprises on this list is Mateus Mané from Wolverhampton, who has chosen to represent Portugal instead of England. Additionally, Mathias Amorim and Gustavo Sá, both scouted by Sporting, are also included in the selections.

Also included in Luís Freire’s call-up is Youssef Chermiti, who currently plays for Rangers. The former Sporting striker was even linked to a possible call-up to the senior national team by Roberto Martínez, but that ultimately did not happen. It’s worth noting the absence of Rafael Nel, who recently made his debut by scoring for Sporting in the Champions League.

It’s important to remember that the aforementioned matches continue Portugal’s qualification campaign for the 2027 Euro in this category, where Luís Freire’s team will also face Bulgaria, Czechia, and Gibraltar in Group B.

Goalkeepers: André Gomes (FC Alverca), Gonçalo Ribeiro (FC Porto), and João Carvalho (SC Braga);

Defenders: Daniel Banjaqui (SL Benfica), Diogo Monteiro (FC Arouca), Gabriel Brás (FC Porto), João Muniz (Sporting CP), Leonardo Barroso (Chicago Fire FC), Rodrigo Rêgo (SL Benfica), Tiago Gabriel (US Lecce Spa), and Tiago Parente (FC Felgueiras);

Midfielders: Diego Rodrigues (SC Braga), Diogo Sousa (Vitória SC), Gonçalo Moreira (SL Benfica), Gustavo Sá (FC Famalicão), João Simões (Sporting CP), and Mathias de Amorim (FC Famalicão);

Forwards: Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge KV), Mateus Mané (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Noah Saviolo (Vitória SC), Rodrigo Ribeiro (FC Augsburg), Roger Fernandes (Al Ittihad), and Youssef Chermiti (Rangers FC);

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.