Paulo Bernardo is back in the spotlight tonight as he lines up for Portugal Under-21s in their opening match of the UEFA U21 European Championship against France.
The match kicks off at 8pm and will be shown live on Channel 4Seven, with the tournament being covered across Channel 4’s platforms, including YouTube.
The 23-year-old midfielder starts for his country despite technically being over the age threshold. He’s eligible to play under UEFA rules, which allow players who were within the age limit at the start of the qualification campaign to continue through the finals.
Bernardo boasts considerable experience at this level, earning his 29th cap for Portugal’s U21 side tonight. The competition is set to feature many of Europe’s most promising young talents, and this evening’s clash with France is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the group stage.
Tonight’s match will also be played under UEFA’s newly introduced rule concerning goalkeepers and time-wasting. As trialled from this tournament onward, any keeper holding the ball for longer than eight seconds could see the opposition awarded a corner kick, replacing the previous indirect free-kick punishment.
For Celtic fans, it’s another opportunity to see Bernardo and some other top youngsters in action as the club continues to weigh up its midfield options for the coming campaign.
