Portugal coach: 'The camera angle made Ronaldo look bad'

Coach Roberto Martinez insists Cristiano Ronaldo received an unfair red card after Portugal's 0-2 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on the morning of November 14th.

A close-up of Ronaldo's elbowing incident: In the early hours of November 14th, Cristiano Ronaldo lost control during Portugal's 0-2 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the European region.

According to coach Martinez, the incident leading to the red card in the 59th minute was not violent at all. "Cristiano was just trying to push the defender away, because throughout the match the Irish players were constantly pressing, pulling shirts and making strong contact. It wasn't an act of attacking anyone. He was just unlucky that the referee and VAR judged differently," he said.

Martinez also argued that the VAR angle made the situation look worse than it actually was: "I believe that angle made things look worse. But it was a red card, and ironically, it was Cristiano's first red card for the national team. It's unbelievable considering his 22-year career."

Despite Ronaldo's disappointing departure, Martinez insisted the entire team must quickly move forward. "In the dressing room, I told them we need to prepare immediately for the next game. Cristiano has brought so many victories to Portugal, and today was simply a day when football turned its back on us. This happens to anyone," he stressed.

In the early hours of November 14th, Portugal missed the opportunity to secure an early World Cup qualification spot after losing 0-2 to the Republic of Ireland. In their final match, coach Martinez's team only needs one point against Armenia at home to determine their own fate.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-bo-dao-nha-goc-quay-lam-ronaldo-xau-di-post1602664.html