- Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears after missing a penalty against Slovenia
- Portugal coach Roberto Martinez must make the brave decision to sack Ronaldo
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The temptation is to criticise Cristiano Ronaldo after what we saw against Slovenia. To think he is a spoilt brat, a free-kick hog, the me-me-me of Portugal.
But really, I’m looking at Roberto Martinez, someone with such a lack of character that I’m surprised he’s standing up straight in the technical area.
He almost seems afraid to sack Ronaldo, who could well be appointed Portugal coach given the amount of carte blanche he is being given in Germany.
In the end, a coach has to realize when a player is not benefiting the team, no matter who he is. You have to be brave enough to make tough decisions without worrying about who you might upset.
No one argues that Ronaldo has had the most magnificent career imaginable, but on Monday night he looked like the kid who takes the ball to the local park and, when he can’t take it anymore, puts it in his jersey and goes home so no one else can play.
Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears after his missed penalty capped a dismal performance in Portugal’s unconvincing win over Slovenia in the Euro 2024 round of 16 on Tuesday.
But Portuguese coach Roberto Martinez does not have the courage to fire the selfish 39-year-old.
The more Martinez refuses to let him fall, the weaker he will look and the more he will have to make bold decisions.
It was a performance shrouded in selfishness, made more embarrassing every time he missed a free-kick while Bruno Fernandes stood by idly.
The tears that flowed after missing the penalty were proof that pressure can get to even the best players. In the end, the penalty shoot-out saved Ronaldo, who controlled the pressure by scoring his own penalty.
But overall he was more of a hindrance than a help to the team, and that is being made possible by the puppet that is Martinez.
His squad includes Gonçalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick in the 6-1 win over Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup when Martinez’s predecessor Fernando Santos made the bold decision to replace Ronaldo. He also has Diogo Jota, who gave away the penalty against Slovenia, and João Félix.
The more Martinez refuses to leave Ronaldo out, the weaker he appears.
