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Roberto Martinez won an army of admirers for how he reintegrated Cristiano Ronaldo into his team following a woeful World Cup in Qatar.
But like many before him, Martinez has taken his eye off the ball and the megalomaniacal ego is now out of control, causing more harm than good to Portugal’s chances of a second European Championship crown.
Monday night in Frankfurt is when it hit home for Martinez. Bringing Ronaldo back in from the cold having been frozen out by predecessor Fernando Santos in Qatar for a comfortable, hassle-free Euro 2024 qualification campaign, Ronaldo pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes in the opening two group stage matches.
There were no tantrums, applause for team-mates rather than death stares and the ultimate sacrifice – squaring for Bruno Fernandes to make it 3-0 against Turkey when he himself was clean through on goal. Were these the end of days?
After Portugal’s final group game against Georgia, all was aligned in the universe again. In a match that had zero bearing on his side’s progress to the last-16, Ronaldo booted a water bottle after being substituted and sat on the bench with his head in his hands, trying to suppress his anger.
In Frankfurt against Slovenia, Ronaldo’s almost cartoonish amour propre reached new heights. Like watching your favourite band butchering their biggest hits on another reunion tour, his sell-absorbed mission to score a goal was a difficult spectacle to witness.
Taking every free-kick, from all angles, when everyone in attendance could pre-empt where they were heading was only the half of it.
When the tears flowed as Paul Gascoigne was cautioned in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, there was a heartbreaking reason behind it all. All his footballing life, representing England in a World Cup final was Gascoigne’s lifelong dream, and to have that opportunity taken away from him, for one ill-advised tackle, was all too much.
The tears that trickled down Ronaldo’s face in Frankfurt after missing from the penalty spot, however, came from a different psychological realm. The veteran superstar had plenty of time to ensure he and Portugal could book a quarter-final clash with France, against a far inferior Slovenia side on the ropes.
And while he showed great courage for taking, and scoring, the first penalty in Portugal’s shootout success, his celebration – holding his hands up to apologise to supporters for his earlier miss – smacked of a narcissist eager to keep the narrative focused on one man.
“Those emotions are incredible for someone who has done so much, that’s why I thank him,” Martinez said, missing the point entirely. “Only the penalty takers can miss penalties.
“I was certain he had to be the first taker and show our way to the victory. Everyone is very proud of our captain, he gives us all a lesson, to have real high standards and never give up. The way he reacted we are very proud of and he’s a real example in Portuguese football.”
Martinez is beyond the point of no return with Ronaldo now. He cannot drop him. He cannot even substitute him. Santos gave him the platform to move on from the “siuuuu” circus, but instead, he welcomed the drama with open arms.
Now, Martinez stands on the precipice once more. For the second time, after guiding Belgium at the 2018 World Cup, the Catalan coach has been blessed with a nation’s golden generation at its peak.
This Portuguese unit is arguably their best-ever crop of talent. Even when you compare it to the days of Luis Figo and Rui Costa, across the whole team, Portugal are blessed with world-class talent in almost every position.
With a below-par France up next, Portugal have every chance of progressing to the last four, as they chase a second European Championship crown.
But they are going to have to do it with Ronaldo and all his baggage in tow. Dropping him now will create a media furore and additional scrutiny on Martinez nobody wants. And God forbid he chooses to substitute him.
Football’s all-time top goalscorer is still capable of great things. The problem is, so are his star-studded team-mates, those who are instead reduced to support acts as the Ronaldo circus heads on to its next expectant town.
