“I saw Cristiano happy and in an important moment" - Roberto Martinez on Cristiano Ronaldo's commitment as Portugal captain

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has opened up on his experience of working with Cristiano Ronaldo and his role as a captain.

Martinez was appointed Portugal manager following Fernando Santos' sacking after they A Selecao's elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals against Morocco.

The Spanish manager has won all 12 of his games with Portugal, conceding just two goals and scoring 44 games. He helped them comfortably qualify for the UEFA 2024 Euros, winning all 10 games in the qualifiers and topping their group.

Martinez recently opened up about captain Cristiano Ronaldo's commitment and his role as a captain, saying via O Jogo:

“I saw Cristiano happy and in an important moment. He is enjoying the role he plays with the club and the country, and his commitment was complete. As a coach, you have to make the players fit the style of play, but you also have to fit the group, and Cristiano as a leader was a natural thing.

"I cannot talk about other times, from the first day until the last match against Iceland. The captain’s commitment was healthy and helped the players a lot.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has been in sensational form under Martinez so far. He scored 10 goals and provided two assists in nine appearances in the Euro Qualifiers.

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Pundit references Cristiano Ronaldo in taking a dig at Manchester United

The Red Devils suffered yet another defeat as they went down 2-0 against West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, December 23. They have scored just 18 goals in 18 league games this season with their attackers massively misfiring.

Pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft took a dig at Manchester United after their loss against West Ham, writing on X (formerly Twitter):

"Least goals scored in the Premier League: Sheffield United 13 Burnley 16 Luton 17 Forest 17 Crystal Palace 18 Manchester United 18 Thank God they got rid of @Cristiano"

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Juventus in 2021 for his second spell at the club. He was their top scorer with 24 goals across competitions and 18 in the Premier League.

However, following Erik ten Hag's appointment as manager in the summer of 2022, Ronaldo fell out of favor. He scored three goals and provided two assists in 16 appearances across competitions. The Portuguese eventually left the club in November via mutual contract termination after his public falling out with Ten Hag.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are eighth in the Premier League, eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.