▁Spain ▁finished ▁in ▁ 3 rd ▁place . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Portugal ▁disappoint ed ▁when ▁Argentina ▁won ▁the ▁event ▁for ▁the ▁fourth ▁time , ▁defe ating ▁Spain ▁in ▁the ▁final , ▁and ▁leaving ▁them ▁with ▁ 3 rd ▁place . ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁edition ▁will ▁always ▁be ▁remembered ▁as ▁the ▁worst ▁performance ▁ever ▁for ▁Portugal ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁they ▁didn ' t ▁finish ▁among ▁the ▁four ▁best ▁teams . ▁In ▁fact , ▁Portugal , ▁co ached ▁by ▁Paulo ▁Bat ista , ▁was ▁elimin ated ▁by ▁Switzerland ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final s , ▁and ▁lost ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁place ▁match ▁to ▁France , ▁finishing ▁only ▁in ▁ 6 th ▁place . ▁This ▁result ▁caused ▁great ▁controvers y ▁in ▁Portugal ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁immediate ▁s ack ing ▁of ▁coach ▁Paulo ▁Bat ista . ▁With ▁the ▁new ▁coach , ▁Lu ís ▁S én ica , ▁Portugal , ▁who ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁European ▁Championship ▁final s ▁to ▁Spain , ▁narrow ly ▁lost ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁final ▁to ▁Spain ▁by ▁ 1 – 0 , ▁with ▁a ▁controvers ial ly ▁dis allowed ▁goal ▁scored ▁by ▁Re inal do ▁Vent ura . ▁A do pt ing ▁the ▁nick name ▁of ▁" Os ▁Urs os " ▁(" The ▁B ears "), ▁Portugal ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁cont ender ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁World ▁Championship ▁title , ▁but ▁lost ▁in ▁the ▁semi