Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach, He remarked this Friday that Cristiano Ronaldo “deserves to be here”, in the Euro 2024“You just have to see what he has done in the last competitions,” explained the coach, who recalled the attacker’s “experience, the chances, the way he opened the spaces” and the goals.
“There has not been another player in the history of football with six European Championships. It is important to understand what a player contributes. Cristiano brings experience, brings opportunities, a way of opening spaces. Cristiano is in the national team because he deserves to be here, You just have to see what he has done, also in the last competitions,” explained the coach on the eve of the match against Turkey at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
“He had three shots on goal, the one he had the most in the first game of this Euro Cup. He works hard. He is a very important area player. In Francisco’s goal, the space opens up because Cristiano is in the area. Cristiano is important for us. We are not a direct playing team, but we want to reach the final third with five, six players,” he noted.
Martínez’s praise for Arda Güler and Türkiye
Roberto Martínez also highlighted Arda Güler, his rival on Saturday in the second day of group F of Euro 2024, is a “sensational talent”, who is “great to see play”, within the “incredible mix of young talents” of the Turkish National Team, which also has “very good defense.”
“We know that Arda Güler is a sensational talent, with an extraordinary future. He is a very effective player. I like teams that give space to younger players. It’s great to see him play. But we want to win and we are going to do it,” he said at the press conference on the eve of the match at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
“Türkiye is an incredible mix of young talents. We have seen what players like Arda Güler or Yildiz. They have the experience of Çalhanoglu. They have a lot of quality with the ball, but their coach has also created a very good and strong defensive structure,” analyzed the Spanish coach, winner of the eleven official competition matches he has coached Portugal. If we add the friendlies, he lost two duels , with Croatia and Slovenia.
His analysis of what Portugal needs to improve
“We have very good data from the game against the Czech Republic. 73 percent possession, thirteen corners… We have to improve the first half. We didn’t shoot what we wanted. But the team controlled the game, with maturity and personality. We scored three out of five shots. It was a very good reaction. We didn’t react that way against Slovenia and Croatia,” he reviewed.
“It is important to be clear about where we need to improve. The players have a lot of self-criticism, they do not need the coach. We have 26 capable players and even more prepared,” said the Portuguese coach, who considered that Pepe can function in a defense of two or three centre-backs. and that he expects “a lot of atmosphere” in favor of Turkey in Dortmund.
“Turkey will have a lot of support in the stands. We have to be compact to stop Turkey’s inside game, but we also have to be ourselves. We need to control the game,” warned the coach, who stressed that, beyond his choice for the eleven, the important thing is that all your players are “prepared.”
“In the last game we saw it; Francisco Conceiçao came in and showed why he is in the national team, just like Pedro Neto, Inacio or Nelson Semedo. After the game against the Czech Republic we are better and more prepared. We need everyone to be prepared, the important thing It’s not whether or not they are in the starting eleven,” the coach added.
