Roberto Martinez tells if he’s keeping an eye on Ronaldo. Before making a decision regarding the 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo’s future as an international player, new Portugal manager Roberto Martinez intends to talk with him. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has 196 caps for his nation and scored 118 goals while playing for them, becoming him the all-time best scorer in men’s international football. He also helped them win the European Championship and Nations League.
However, Ronaldo spent a lot of time on the bench at the 2022 World Cup and has since joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United as a free agent, raising the question of whether he will play a role in Portugal’s new era when Martinez takes over for Fernando Santos as manager.
When asked if Ronaldo has a role to play in his plans, Martinez told the media at his official unveiling: “Decisions have to be made on the pitch. I don’t take rash actions as a coach. I want to talk to everyone and get to know them all, so I want to meet them all and start doing that immediately. Let’s talk about Cristiano, who is on that list. He spent 19 years with the national team and is deserving of praise. The finest list for the European Championship is therefore up to me to create. We’ll begin training and getting to know each player tomorrow, including Cristiano.”
Martinez continued, “We are going to start a footballing process to attempt to get to know all the individuals that may be part of this selection. Ronaldo’s status within the Portuguese set-up, having made a senior international bow back in 2003, is as follows. All players will be given a chance, and those who are already in the selection will be respected. One of them is Cristiano. We must go through the process naturally and responsibly, and we must make crucial decisions for the team.”
Portugal exited the 2022 World Cup in the quarterfinals following a shocking loss to Morocco, and they won’t play again until March 23, when they face Liechtenstein in the first round of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
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