"Anyone who says Martinez is a good coach doesn’t understand football" - Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal coach slammed by Belgium star

Former Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan has hit out at Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal coach Roberto Martinez. He claims that anyone who rates the manager does not understand football.

Speaking on Junior Vertongen's YouTube channel, Nainggolan claimed that Martinez's plan with Belgium was to pass the ball to Eden Hazard or Kevin De Bruyne, hoping they would find a way to help the team. He added that the manager had no idea how to solve things when the game did not go as planned, saying (via GOAL):

"Anyone who says Martinez is a good coach doesn’t understand football. A good coach gives a team an idea. We never had that with him. When things got hard, it was always the same: give the ball to Hazard or De Bruyne and hope they sort it out. That was the plan."

Talking about how players were treated and played out of position by Martinez, he added:

"De Bruyne was told to play right forward when he wanted to be in midfield. He still did it because that’s what the coach asked. Martinez never talked to me because he didn’t want me involved. That’s how it was. It’s not about me being bitter.

"When I was seventh choice under Conte, I accepted it. But I respected him because he’s a top coach. Some managers you respect even if you don’t play; others you know aren’t up to the job. I've had coaches I played for, and I'd say, 'That was a terrible coach.' Martinez is one of those."

Radja Nainggolan played 30 times for Belgium, only six of them under Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard resigned after the 2022 FIFA World Cup but was swiftly appointed by Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, who were without a manager following Fernando Santos's exit.

Cristiano Ronaldo deserves his spot in the Portugal side, said Roberto Martinez

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this year, hailing the national team captain for his commitment. He believes that the forward remains among their best players. He said (via ESPN):

"At 40, he has unique experience in the world of club football. Being a coach isn't about picking or not picking Cristiano Ronaldo, it's about using the best players to have the best team and win titles. It's important to make decisions based on facts, and Cristiano has scored 20 goals [for Portugal] in [the last] 25 games. There are no records like this. We've managed to make the dressing room a very competitive place, and when you have a player like Ronaldo, it's a football lesson every day."

Cristiano Ronaldo has played 29 matches under Roberto Martinez for the national team. He has scored 25 goals in those matches and won the UEFA Nations League.