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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo reckons manager Roberto Martinez can improve the team if he's given more time at the helm.
Ronaldo's comments came after A Selecao's last-gasp win over Iceland in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday (June 20). The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, in his 200th appearance for his country, scored the only goal of the game in the 89th minute.
In the mixed zone after the contest, Cristiano Ronaldo said (as translated from Portuguese):
"It (reaching 200 appearances) is a source of pride. (We need to) give time to our manager, who has done an excellent job, to continue to impose his ideas. It is giving time so that things can go even better."
Roberto Martinez joined Portugal in January this year after they had parted ways with Fernando Santos following a disappointing 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar. The former Everton boss, meanwhile, was fired by Belgium, who also struggled at the Qatar showpiece in December last year.
Martinez has overseen four games, all in Euro 2024 qualifying, at the helm of A Selecao so far. His reign began with a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein, which was followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Luxembourg, both in March.
Before the 1-0 win over Iceland, Martinez's men also beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 thanks on June 17, thanks to Bruno Fernandes' brace.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been on fire for Portugal under Roberto Martinez
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in all but one of Portugal's four games under Roberto Martinez. The five-time UEFA Champions League winner scored braces against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg before netting the winner against Iceland.
As mentioned earlier, Tuesday's game marked Ronaldo's 200th international cap for Portugal, making him the first male player to reach that landmark. He's also the leading goalscorer in men's international football, with the goal against Iceland taking his tally for A Selecao up to 123.
Ronaldo ended the 2022-23 season with 23 goals for club and country in 46 games across competitions. The 38-year-old found the back of the net six times in 11 appearances for his country and scored 17 times in 35 games for Al-Nassr and Manchester United.
