While the first days increased the tension between the elements of the national team, the worst was yet to come. The players first threatened to strike unless the prizes were increased, beginning a war of press releases between them and the federation. On 25 May the players dropped the bomb, refusing to play in a preparation match and further matches unless the situation was dealt with. The protest backfired, as in Portugal nobody stood with the players (press, fans and club directors included) and the international press tagged the incident as "ridiculous", but still took sides with the players due to the situations described by the players, which included being forced to advertise certain products (Adidas and a local brand of beer) without being paid.