Former Chelsea star Chris Sutton has criticized Portugal coach Roberto Martinez for failing to drop Cristiano Ronaldo during their quarter-final match against France in the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
In a scathing review on the Daily Mail, Sutton expressed his frustration that Martinez did not bench the football icon despite Ronaldo’s underwhelming performances in the tournament. Sutton accused the Spaniard of lacking courage and prioritizing Ronaldo’s status over the team’s needs.
Sutton wrote: “I’m looking at Roberto Martinez, someone with such a lack of backbone that I’m surprised he’s standing up straight in the technical area. He almost seems scared to axe Ronaldo, who might as well be named Portugal’s manager with the amount of carte blanche he is being gifted in Germany.”
He continued, “Eventually, a manager must realize when a player is not benefiting the team, no matter who it is. You have to be brave enough to make difficult decisions without worrying whom you might upset.”
Sutton acknowledged Ronaldo’s legendary career but was critical of his performance during the match, likening him to “the kid who brings the ball down to the local park and then when he’s had enough, he sticks it up his jumper and goes home so no one else can play.”
