Roberto Martinez has defended his decision not to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugal's World Cup defeat to Spain, saying it was part of his tactical plan. Portugal were eliminated after Mikel Merino's 91st-minute goal secured a 1-0 win for Spain, who will face Belgium in the quarter-finals. Ronaldo, 41, played the full 90 minutes but struggled to make an impact, while Paris Saint-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos remained on the bench.
Martinez explains his reasoning
Speaking after the match, Martinez said: 'It's an easy way to analyse things. Physically, Cristiano was fully fit to play 90 minutes. He creates space, adapts to situations. It's very important to have someone like that inside the penalty area. Perhaps in extra time it would have been good to have Goncalo Ramos, but that wasn't the strategy today. Today we needed to be able to stop Spain's attacking players, and it didn't make sense to take our forwards off.'
Ronaldo scored three goals at the World Cup this summer – two in the 5-0 win over Uzbekistan and a penalty in the 2-1 victory over Croatia in the last-32 stage – but has faced criticism over his lack of impact in Portugal's attack. Martinez also highlighted that Rafael Leao, who was outstanding against Croatia, needed protection as he had not played a full 90 minutes in some time.
Martinez leaves Portugal role
Martinez confirmed that the match against Spain was his last as Portugal's head coach, as his contract expired after the World Cup. 'It's true that this is my last game for the Portuguese national team,' he said. 'I want to thank the Portuguese people because it was an incredible period, a source of pride I can't describe. The strength, the energy of the fans, of the entire population. Thank you for that. I'll take these memories with me for a lifetime.'
He also praised his players: 'I want to thank the players for their work because it was incredible. So much talent. But it was the commitment to being a team. It's very easy to have good players in the national team because they are the best, but the important thing is to form a team. These are 45 games, the best numbers in Portugal's history. And that's the players' commitment.'
What's next for Portugal?
Former Benfica head coach Jorge Jesus, who managed Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last season, is the favourite to replace Martinez. Martinez said: 'I came to Portugal to win the World Cup and I think that, without winning, it doesn't make sense to continue. The board and the president now have the possibility to choose the new coach. The president has always supported my work, but my contract ends today.'
