Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has fiercely defended under-fire forward Cristiano Ronaldo. This comes ahead of their vital second World Cup group fixture against Uzbekistan, and fans have been reacting.
Speaking after the disappointing opening draw with DR Congo, Martinez insisted that empirical data justifies Cristiano’s position in the side despite growing public scrutiny.
Roberto added that Ronaldo remains the ideal spearhead for the national team’s offensive line during this tournament cycle.
His words, “We’re more united, we’re stronger. We’re playing a World Cup, of course there’s a lot of noise, a lot of tension, it’s part of the game. Our focus is on the team. We’re more united than before we arrived.
There’s no tension. He’s an example, as a captain. And he’s reacted as a captain, with a lot of experience. He wants to contribute, and he’s a role model for our team. He opens up spaces with his movements. The numbers support him.
He’s probably the biggest example of how to recover, how to train. But that doesn’t take away the feeling of frustration we all have, as a team.”
WOW.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club, Al Nassr and the Portugal national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, and grew up in the nearby parish of Santo António. He is the fourth and youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Viveiros da Aveiro, who worked as a cook in the hospitality industry and a cleaning woman, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener at the Junta de Freguesia of Santo António and part-time kit man for football club Andorinha.
Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United was completed on 12 August 2003, too late for the 2003 FA Community Shield but in time for their game against Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2003–04 season, and made him the first Portuguese player to sign for the club.
Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee at the time of £80 million (€94 million). His contract, which ran until 2015, was worth €11 million per year and contained a €1 billion buy-out clause.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate