Portugal’s Eurobasket 2025 journey has hit some bumps. Yet, point guard Diogo Ventura insists the team’s main goal remains firmly in sight. Ventura, a starter in two of Portugal’s three games, spoke out this Sunday. His comments followed a tough loss against Turkey, coming just before a crucial match-up with Latvia.
“Are our hopes still intact? Yes, absolutely,” Ventura told the Lusa agency. He plays for Sporting and remembered their strong start. Portugal began the tournament with a key 62-50 victory over the Czech Republic. “We won the game we were expected to win,” he added.
However, challenges soon followed. Predictable defeats came against Serbia, 80-69, and then the heavy 95-54 loss to Turkey. Both Serbia and Turkey are top teams, seen as strong title contenders. Ventura was honest about the gap. “We know Serbia and Turkey are on a different level. There’s no hiding it. We’re not at their standard.”
He explained that Portugal believes they can compete. They showed this in their game against Serbia. But a bad day can happen, as it did against Turkey. Ventura also pointed to physical demands. Playing two powerful teams on consecutive days takes its toll. “Did the physical side play a part? Of course it did,” the national team veteran told Lusa. Ventura has earned 59 caps for the senior squad. “We faced the two strongest teams back-to-back.”
The plan for the Round of 16 never relied on beating those basketball giants. “We knew that going in,” Ventura stated. “Our goal is still intact, and we will chase it until the very end.” He emphasized the need to move on quickly. Basketball tournaments are a marathon of games. “You can’t get too happy when you win, or too sad when you lose,” he noted.
The team has already shifted its focus. “We’re thinking about the next game,” said the number 9. “We looked at what we could have done better against Turkey, but that’s in the past. There’s nothing to change now. We’re aiming to win the next match.”
Monday’s game against co-host Latvia will be another tough test. Latvia will have a huge home crowd on its side. The Xiaomi Arena in Riga is expected to be packed. “A full arena, with 11,000 people cheering, always makes a difference,” Ventura admitted. But he believes his team can handle it. “We’ve played in these kinds of environments a few times. The team always steps up, and things usually go well.” He finished with a confident tone: “We are very sure we can perform well.”
The Group A Eurobasket 2025 match between Latvia and Portugal is set for Monday. Tip-off is at 6:00 PM local time (4:00 PM Lisbon) at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga.