Roberto Martinez’s use of Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024 was widely ridiculed, but the Portugal head coach has now justified his decision.
Former coach Fernando Santos phased out Ronaldo at the 2022 World Cup, but Martinez brought him back in as a starter in Germany, which turned out to be a disaster.
Ronaldo failed to score, and Portugal, third in the betting odds pre-tournament, lost to Georgia, drew to Slovenia, and then headed out at the quarter-final stage with defeat to France.
The 39-year-old was largely anonymous for all five matches, and even his squad selection was questioned pre-tournament, having stepped away from elite-level football with a move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Now opening up on the tournament, Martinez told ZeroZero: “In tournaments, age is not important. I think age even helps.
“We saw that with Pepe, who played at an excellent level. The important thing is the work of the medical team.
“We monitor his performance through the statistics, which show that Cristiano was well managed and well used. I have confidential information that proves this narrative.”
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