It’s a brand new generation for Portugal because it starts Eu Championship qualifying underneath a brand new trainer and with Cristiano Ronaldo a long way clear of football’s largest stadiums.
Portugal begins its Euro 2024 qualifying marketing campaign at house towards Liechtenstein in Workforce J on Thursday, with Roberto Martínez debuting as trainer and Ronaldo nonetheless within the squad.
It’s going to be Ronaldo’s first look with Portugal since leaving Europe for Saudi membership Al Nassr after a most commonly disappointing stint with Manchester United. He’s set to damage the best-ever report of appearances with a countrywide staff after tying Bader Al-Mutawa’s mark of 196 outings for Kuwait all over final yr’s Global Cup.
Martínez is taking up Fernando Santos, who hand over in December after Portugal’s removal through Morocco within the quarterfinals of the Global Cup. Santos left amid the talk of benching Ronaldo within the knockout level of the match in Qatar.
Santos was once in control of Portugal for 8 years, main the nationwide staff to the Euro 2016 name — the rustic’s first primary trophy — and the 2019 Countries League name. He reached an settlement with the federation to go away two years sooner than his contract was once to finish.
Martínez ended his six-year stint with Belgium after the staff’s disappointing group-stage removal on the Global Cup. He arrived pledging to recognize Ronaldo’s historical past with the nationwide staff.
Along with Ronaldo, Martínez will inherit a squad full of proficient gamers equivalent to Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix. The trainer made few adjustments to the squad, with 40-year-old defender Pepe additionally returning to play along the 38-year-old Ronaldo.
“We had been in short presented to him at the coaching box,” Félix mentioned about Martínez.
“He defined to us a few of his concepts, basically for those two video games, which might be going to be very identical. He talked in regards to the attacking dynamic, the connections between wingers and strikers.” Félix downplayed Portugal’s probabilities within the suits towards Liechtenstein and at Luxembourg on Sunday.
“We at all times should be ready and no longer take any recreation flippantly,” he mentioned.
“We now have the new instance of the Global Cup, when everybody idea we had been going to get previous Morocco and we didn’t. It’s at all times difficult, it’s at all times the most productive from each and every nation, and everybody performs each and every recreation adore it is a last. All video games can be tough, each at house and away. We should be wary.” Portugal is unbeaten towards Liechtenstein, with six wins and a attract seven suits.
Portugal’s Euro 2024 qualifying organization additionally comprises Iceland, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The highest two international locations from each and every of the ten teams qualify for the overall match in Germany.