In the upcoming European Cup Quarter-Final at 3:00 a.m. on July 6, Beijing time, the Portuguese national team will face the powerful French team. Before the match, Roberto Martinez, head coach of the Portuguese national team, attended a press conference, and in the face of all the doubts and criticisms from the outside world, he showed a firm attitude and determination.
Responding to criticism that Portugal played "ugly", Martinez said the most important thing for the team is to show synchronization and technical and tactical levels. He emphasized that every team has its own predictability and the key lies in how to play their talents. After four matches and 30 training sessions, the Portuguese team is well prepared to face France at its best.
Martinez also revealed that there is a lot of self-criticism in the dressing room, which is part of the team's progress. He strongly believes that the team's style is clear and there is no need to make changes in every game or try to make the game unpredictable. Their goal is to stick to their style and improve on it.
Regarding the criticism, especially against his substitution strategy and the way he uses players such as B Fay, B XI and Crosby, Martinez said that it is part of the job. He emphasized that he has information, criteria and makes decisions based on data and the team's situation. He thanked the fans for their passionate interest, but it is more important to focus on the upcoming matches and make sure that the team is able to play at its best.
Martinez vehemently denied the alleged lack of adventurousness. He pointed out that Portugal is one of the most adventurous teams in the competition, always pressing forward, shooting and showing a strong desire to attack. He emphasized that the team had a great performance in the attacking third and will continue to try to score more goals.
Speaking about the preparation training and the national team's set piece penalty taking, Martinez said that the team's training has been great and the players are in good shape. He revealed that Cristiano and Bruno are two very responsible players and will decide who will take the set-pieces based on type, position and timing.
When asked about the comparison between the Portugal team that won the title in 2016 and this current team, Martinez said he doesn't like to compare players from different eras. He believes that every generation of players has their own unique ways and styles, and this Portugal team has their strengths and potential. He hopes that this generation will inspire the future and continue to create glory for Portuguese soccer.
Finally, Martinez said that all players are ready for the match against France. He believes that the team will be able to stay focused, play at their level and create their own miracle. Regardless of the result, they will learn a lot from it and be ready for future matches.
