Portugal’s manager, Roberto Martinez, has expressed his confidence in his team’s growth despite their disappointing quarterfinal exit at the recent European Championship. Speaking ahead of their Nations League opener against Croatia on Thursday, Martinez emphasized the positives gleaned from their penalty shootout defeat to France, stating that his side will be stronger for the experience.
He acknowledged the criticism directed at the team but emphasized the importance of internal expectations: “Criticism is part of the demand we will always have. But the internal demands are even stronger than the demands of the fans,” Martinez told a press conference on Wednesday. “We always want to win, but the big tournaments have the best players in the world, so games are decided by details. The detail is often a penalty where the ball goes in or out.”
Martinez believes the team’s character shone through in the Euro match: “We showed character, we controlled the game against France and we grew a lot as a team. The group was ready to play two more games, but I really liked our character. We did very well in many aspects.”
He acknowledged the team’s struggles in attack during the tournament but stated that his primary focus is to build the team around its attacking prowess. Fans can expect a more aggressive approach from Portugal in upcoming matches.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has ruled out any immediate thoughts of retirement from international football, declaring that he still has much to offer Portugal. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, appeared at a record sixth European Championship this year, but Portugal’s quarterfinal exit led to criticism of his performance.
Despite the negativity, Ronaldo stated in a press conference on Monday that he “never considered leaving the national team” and retains the support of coach Roberto Martinez.
