Faced with doubts about his fitness and performance, the match against Turkey showed why captain Roberto Martinez still has absolute trust in Ronaldo .
Cristiano Ronaldo still plays an irreplaceable role in the Portuguese team. Photo: AFP
When the Portuguese team faced difficulties against the Czech Republic, the question of Cristiano Ronaldo’s role in the squad arose again. Some people think that if CR7 doesn’t score, what does he bring to the team other than actions showing frustration on the field?
The 39-year-old striker does not participate in the pressing process, does not retreat to defense and has spent 18 months playing football in the Saudi Pro League. So why is Roberto Martinez still determined to keep him in the first team?
Ronaldo still shows perseverance at the age of 39. Photo: AFP
In the post-match press conference, Martinez cleverly answered the doubters with a counter question: “Do you know how many minutes Ronaldo played last season?” The answer is nearly 4,000 minutes. The captain of the Portuguese team continued to explain that Ronaldo did not simply join the team to conquer the milestone of 250 caps for the national team.
The Spanish strategist emphasized Ronaldo’s experience, understanding and ability to handle pressure. These are important factors in difficult matches like the confrontation with Türkiye in Dortmund, where up to 23,000 fans of the red team came to cheer.
Ronaldo scored 51 goals in 50 matches last season, proving that he is still physically fit to play 4 days/match. Martinez affirmed that the Portuguese superstar is in the squad not because of his reputation but because he deserves it.
Although he has not scored at EURO 2024, Ronaldo still finds a way to be useful. Martinez pointed out that Francisco Conceicao’s goal against the Czech Republic was thanks to CR7 creating space for his teammates.
In the qualifying round, Ronaldo scored 10 goals in 9 matches to help Portugal win absolutely. Although he did not score in the match against Türkiye, he had some notable plays, although not always successful. Ronaldo fell while trying to catch the ball from Nuno Mendes for Bernardo Silva’s goal. He also missed another opportunity when he was annoyed with Joao Cancelo for an inaccurate pass. Ronaldo blamed himself for not taking advantage of the opportunity from the volley and the header that followed.
During the match, Ronaldo was chased by enthusiastic fans more than Turkish defenders. Four people approached the star born in 1985, disrupting the match and making him angry.
Ronaldo took a selfie with the first person, but when the second person jumped from the roof onto the field, he could not contain his discomfort. Bernardo Silva had to exclaim: “That’s what you have to accept when you’re the player who receives the most love in the football world.”
Another key moment was when Ruben Neves passed the ball to Ronaldo, creating a golden opportunity. Instead of finishing the shot himself, CR7 passed the ball to Bruno Fernandes to score. Martinez praised Ronaldo’s decision and called it “a pure moment of Portuguese football”.
Ronaldo set a tournament record with 8 assists in 6 EURO periods. Photo: AFP
Roberto Martinez emphasized the strong competition in the squad and the possibility of changes in the final group stage match against Georgia. However, whether Ronaldo plays or sits out next Thursday is still a big question mark.
Cristiano Ronaldo did not attend EURO 2024 just to take selfies. The Al-Nassr striker is here to win his second European championship. If CR7 cannot score, he will find another way to help Portugal achieve that goal. Martinez’s steadfastness with Ronaldo is not only based on his reputation, it is also a respect for the talent, experience and constant fighting spirit of one of the greatest players of all time.
Regardless of the controversy surrounding Ronaldo’s presence, it cannot be denied that CR7 is still an important part of the Portuguese team in their journey to conquer EURO 2024.
