Bruno Fernandes has refuted claims that Roberto Martinez's appointment has been like a "breath of fresh air" - insisting there have never been any problems with the atmosphere inside the A Selecao camp.
Former Everton, Wigan Athletic and Swansea boss Martinez, who was relieved of his role as Belgium manager after their disastrous World Cup campaign in Qatar, replaced Fernando Santos as manager of Portugal earlier this year and started his tenure with impressive back-to-back Euro 2024 qualifying victories over Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
The 49-year-old Spaniard watched on as his new side scored ten goals across both fixtures and earned two clean sheets, with five-time Ballon d'Or Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating his record-breaking landmark of 197 and 198 international appearances by claiming consecutive braces.
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The former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar had been expected to end his 20-year international career following his graceless exit from Old Trafford in December, which was shortly followed up by signing an eye-watering contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
However, after discussions with Martinez, who served as Blues manager from 2013 to 2016, Ronaldo decided to prolong his retirement and instead relish the "new chapter" with the 2016 European Championship winners.
Speaking after the victory over Luxembourg, the 37-year-old said: "It’s a new chapter for everyone, for the players, the staff and the country. We feel good energy. It’s a breath of fresh air."
But his former Manchester United team-mate and international colleague Fernandes, who was handed his Portugal debut by Santos in 2017, has played down Ronaldo's shining assessment of the first camp under Martinez. Instead insisting there had never been any issues within the camp which required a fresh direction.
"There's never been anything that wasn't fresh of the air," the Manchester United midfielder told reporters on Sunday. "So I think it's just new dynamics, new coach, and you have to assimilate his ideas."
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