When Roberto Martínez was appointed manager of Portugal in January 2023, we went for a coffee in west London. Martínez was in town to check on some of his players, but it was a player overseas that inevitably dominated our chat. Cristiano Ronaldo. Was the legend of the game still worthy of a place in the Portuguese national team?
I was sceptical. Ronaldo was 37, had just signed for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and looked to be in lucrative retirement from elite football. Martínez, a naturally diplomatic man, was very supportive of Ronaldo and enthused about the player’s dedication to training and commitment to driving standards within the team. Martínez ignored the “Ronaldo is finished” narrative.
