Cristiano Ronaldo will compete in his sixth European Championship. Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach, spoke about the importance of the 39-year-old striker within the Portuguese squad and reaffirmed that the player is not in the team just because of his name.
“Cristiano was consistent for his club and national team. He scored nine goals in the qualifiers, he’s a goalscorer, he’s someone who can define, who can open up spaces. He has slightly changed the way he plays, but I can only say that he is in the national team with merit and the numbers attest to that. He has a lot of experience. He is the only one who has played five European Championships and can play in the sixth. His experience is important. What he can say in the locker room is important,” said Roberto Martínez.
Getting closer and closer to our debut on #EURO2024 🛬⏳ #SharingThePassion pic.twitter.com/k7Bdi0EKyh
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 17, 2024
After talking about Cristiano Ronaldo, the coach analyzed Portugal’s debut match in this European Championship. Martínez highlighted that the Portuguese team has a great challenge ahead.
“We need to believe, it’s important. We need to dream. Without dreaming it is difficult to be successful in football. But we also have a responsibility to play well. Tomorrow’s game is the perfect time for us to show that we are prepared, that we can handle expectations. After the first three games we can assess whether we have the capacity to do more or not”, concluded the coach.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal debuts in the Euros this Tuesday against the Czech Republic, at 4pm (Brasília time), at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany. The game is valid for the first round of Group F of the competition.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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