(Web Desk Monitoring) — Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has stated that no decisions have been made regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential international retirement following Portugal’s elimination from Euro 2024.
According to the Indian Today , the team was defeated by France, losing 5-3 on penalties, bringing an end to Ronaldo’s pursuit of another international trophy. This has led to speculation that this might be Ronaldo’s final appearance for the national team.
Ronaldo had an underwhelming tournament, failing to score in any matches apart from penalty shootouts. After their exit, Martinez, quoted by Reuters, mentioned that it was premature to discuss Ronaldo’s international football retirement.“It’s too soon and raw after the match to talk about that, and there have been no individual decisions made,” Martinez said when questioned about Ronaldo’s future with the Portugal team.
Portugal’s Penalty HeartbreakPortugal was knocked out after Joao Felix missed his penalty. Martinez attributed the miss to sheer bad luck.”I can tell you that the whole squad was supporting each other and only players who never shoot a penalty never miss,” Martinez commented. “
Joao has great control of the inside game, he worked hard to be there, and this penalty is bad luck.”Pepe’s Emotional MomentPepe was seen in tears after the game, needing consolation from Ronaldo. Martinez explained that the tears stemmed from frustration, acknowledging the team’s strong performance and praising Pepe as a role model in Portuguese football.”
Pepe is everything he showed in the tournament, not just during the matches, but the way he works through training sessions, the way he supports his colleagues, his commitment,” said Martinez. “His tears are tears of frustration because when you play against better opponents, there’s no shame.
The tears are there because it’s hard to accept that tonight, with our performance, we will drop by the wayside.””But other than that, Pepe is a role model in Portuguese football, and what he did tonight and during the tournament will stay with us, with the next generations.”
