While Portugal has just added a new line to its record by winning the League of Nations against Spain, a question continuous to agitate the spirits: is Lusitanian selection ready to turn the Cristiano Ronaldo page? For several months, the media pressure has been intensifying around a possible passage of relays. The rumors are going well, and everyone goes from their commentary on the future of the fivefold Ballon d'Or within the Seleção. But Roberto Martinez, the coach, did not want to reveal his positioning on this burning subject from the start.
It was only after the victory that Roberto Martinez dispelled the blur by reaffirming his absolute confidence in his captain. “At 40, Cristiano has a unique experience in the world,” he said. For the Spanish technician, it is not a question of “Choose Cristiano Ronaldo” or not, but “Put the best players at the service of the team, in order to win titles”. He insists: “The figures speak for themselves. Cristiano scored 20 goals in 25 games with Portugal. No other player presents such records. »» Martinez sees in Ronaldo a leader whose presence only raises the standards of the whole Portuguese locker room.
Ronaldo, much more than a player, a generational landmark
Beyond its effectiveness, Ronaldo embodies a real model for Martinez. “It's more than a player, it's an icon. His permanent desire to improve is contagious, he inspires an entire generation ”,
hammers the coach. The influence of the Lusitanian far exceeds the green rectangle: “It's like the weather, everyone is talking about it!” »» Its rigor and daily ambition have become the reference within the Portuguese group, where the exemplarity of the captain irrigates the state of mind of the youngest.
Of course, the question of the future remains. The debate on the post-Ronaldo is intensifying while the player has just scored a decisive goal and to pocket a new trophy. However, nothing seems to shake the certainty of the coach: as long as number 7 display such statistics and this state of form, it will be at the center of the project.
“Being coach is making decisions based on facts. »» And for the moment, the facts argue for the maintenance of Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, still untouchable in Seleção?
A captain who still writes his story
Asked about the possibility of an international retirement or an external pressure so that he hangs up the crampons, Cristiano Ronaldo responded immediately a few days ago:
“I will have to decide to stop myself. Neither a club, nor a selection, nor a coach can do it for me. »» The Seleção has therefore not finished living to the rhythm of the last giant of Portuguese football, and Martinez knows it better than anyone: the after-ronaldo will wait a little.
