What did the Portuguese coach say about Ronaldo's red card?

After the match in the early morning of November 14, Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez spoke up to defend Ronaldo. He said the referee was too harsh in giving Ronaldo a red card.

Portugal coach said the red card for Ronaldo was a heavy-handed decision by the referee - Photo: REUTERS

One of the notable highlights in Portugal's 0-2 loss to Ireland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was captain Cristiano Ronaldo receiving a straight red card. This was the first time Ronaldo had been sent off while playing for the national team.

The incident happened when Portugal was losing 0-2. Ronaldo used his elbow to hit Dara O'Shea's back, then made a "fake crying" gesture to mock his opponent.

Referee Glenn Nyberg initially showed Ronaldo a yellow card. But after reviewing VAR, he changed it to a straight red card.

The Portuguese captain's reaction was dramatic. He pouted, clapped his hands sarcastically and gave a thumbs up. In the stands, Irish fans chanted "Messi! Messi!" and imitated "fake crying" to mock Ronaldo.

Ronaldo even had a heated argument with Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. "You put pressure on the referee. Are you happy now?", the Icelandic coach quoted Ronaldo as saying.

Coach Martinez: "There was no violence, VAR exaggerated the situation"

Coach Roberto Martinez has spoken out to defend his 40-year-old student. He believes that the decision to give Ronaldo a direct red card was too harsh and incorrect.

Martinez shared on RTP channel: "This match was difficult because Ronaldo was closely marked by two central defenders, creating pressure and constant collisions."

Ronaldo was not satisfied with the referee's decision - Photo: REUTERS

"There was no violence. He just tried to push his opponent away to find space. The angle of the shot made it look like a malicious act. This is Ronaldo's first red card for the national team. It's unbelievable!", Portugal's head coach emphasized that it was the VAR technology that made the situation more serious.

Martinez also revealed that he encouraged Ronaldo in the dressing room: "I said that you have helped the team win many matches and will continue to do so. When we lost a player, we still showed good spirit. The important thing now is to win the next match."

Ireland coach: "Ronaldo deserved a red card"

After the match, coach Hallgrimsson denied that he put pressure on the referee and said that everything stemmed from Ronaldo's own behavior.

"Of course I'm happy when the opponent loses their best player. But the attitude that led to the red card was his own fault. I had nothing to do with it," said coach Hallgrimsson.

Hallgrimsson also assessed that Ireland's 2-0 win, with Troy Parrott scoring twice in the first half, went according to plan, which was to play a low defensive game, wait for counter-attacks and take advantage of set-pieces.

With this direct red card, Ronaldo faces a suspension of 1-3 matches. Portugal has one final match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Armenia on November 16.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-bo-dao-nha-noi-gi-ve-chiec-the-do-cua-ronaldo-20251114092111181.htm