Portuguese coach praises Ronaldo's team spirit

Roberto Martinez believes Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role in the 3-0 win over Bosnia, despite not scoring.

"It's easy to say he's not at his best anymore. But the truth is that Ronaldo has shown he's always ready to give his all for the team. He's a special player with 199 caps. He's very important in the dressing room. His attitude is great, even without the ball, always working, following the team's plan. I'm very pleased. The pass Ronaldo made to Diogo Jota was a testament to his team spirit," Martinez said in the post-match press conference.

Martinez believes Ronaldo is still an important player for Portugal. Photo: Imago — Martinez believes Ronaldo is still an important player for Portugal. Photo: *Imago*

Ronaldo started as a striker in Portugal's 3-4-3 formation against Bosnia in Group J of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. He put the ball in the net in the 23rd minute but it was disallowed for offside. In the 88th minute, Ronaldo faced the goalkeeper but did not shoot but passed to Jota. However, the Liverpool striker could not beat goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic.

Portugal won 3-0 thanks to a brace from Bruno Fernandes and the opening goal from Bernardo Silva. The result helped them maintain their top spot in the group after three wins, scoring 13 goals and conceding none. In the previous two matches, Martinez's team crushed Luxembourg 6-0 and Liechtenstein 4-0.

"The players were in good shape but not too excited, which is typical in June. It was a difficult match against a strong opponent, playing directly and with good players like Pjanic and Dzeko. We know Bosnia has a quality squad so we knew we had to be united to win. The whole team worked hard to move without the ball. We need games like this to improve," Martinez assessed.

The Belgian tactician praised goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who made a great save late in the game. He rated Portugal as having the edge over their opponents thanks to their diverse personnel, which helped them adapt and prepare better for the match. However, Martinez said Portugal still lost the ball in dangerous areas and needed to find more ways to develop the ball to deal with opponents who are good at defending.

The match took place at Benfica's Estadio da Luz home ground. During the match, some fans booed and whistled at Porto midfielder Otavio. Martinez called on Portuguese fans to put aside their feuds between clubs and support the national team. "It's sad to see a player not supported by fans. The rivalry between clubs is good for Portuguese football. But when the national team plays, that player doesn't belong to any club, he's a national team player," he said.

Vinh San (according to Desporto )

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