Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has saluted Cristiano Ronaldo after his brace against the Republic of Ireland in the final warmup match ahead of the EURO 2024 on Tuesday, June 11. Martinez stated that the goals were world-class and added that the performance showed the Al-Nassr superstar was a team player.
Speaking to the media after the win, Martinez claimed that the 39-year-old was committed to the national side and is a key figure inside the dressing room. The manager added that he enjoys working with the Real Madrid legend and said via The Independent:
“His commitment as captain is unbelievable. Today we saw two world-class goals, but I really enjoyed his work. He had already scored two goals, but his first option was to assist a team-mate. That shows solidarity and companionship, and they are important values in a dressing room when you’re going to the Euros. But also goals are very important and they were excellent.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are in Group F of the EURO 2024. They will face Turkey, the Czech Republic and Georgia in the group stage and are favorites to qualify for the knockout stage.
Roberto Martinez has always praised Cristiano Ronaldo
Roberto Martinez was full of praise for Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2023 when the Portuguese star was in fine form. He claimed that Ronaldo was still going strong at 38 and was committed to doing well on the pitch at every chance.
“When you’re out, you don’t know the secret. Playing until he was 38, playing the games he played… When you’re with him, you understand why. His commitment, his total dedication, that incredible desire to be the best and improve everyone. It’s something we see in very young players…” Martinez told the media.
“I think Cristiano has that freshness. The physical data against Bosnia was fantastic, so he was able to play the full 90 minutes in both games. And now, I start to better understand the physical appearance of the players and see who can play more than two games in 72 hours. Cristiano did not surprise me with his ability; after 200 games for the national team, you can imagine the commitment; being at the highest level, it could be very easy to accept that you will not be at your best,” he added.
Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from the starting XI by Fernando Santos at the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The former manager believed that the team was doing better without the Manchester United legend.
Santos left the position soon after Portugal were knocked out by Morocco in the quarterfinals in Qatar.
