DORTMUND: Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo for his unselfishness during their 3-0 victory over Turkiye at Euro 2024, but was not amused at all over several pitch invaders who tried to take a selfie with the superstar.
“Today we saw that the intentions of the fans were good.
“But you have to careful when the intentions are bad. It should not happen on the field of play,” Martinez said.
“You should fans a message that this is not the right way.”
The incidents started when a little boy ran onto the Dortmund pitch midway through the second half with a mobile phone in his hand, reached superstar Ronaldo in the centre circle, and a smiling Ronaldo bent down for the selfie with the boy.
Stewards were more alert when four adults also invaded the pitch, the last one after the final whistle, and Ronaldo also visibly had enough of it.
Teammate Goncalo Ramos was tripped by a steward who was chasing the last pitch invader.
Bernardo Silva, who had scored the opening goal, was not as upset as Martinez when he said in the direction of Ronaldo: “That is simply the price for being so recognised in the world of football.
“It’s great to have him with us. I wasn’t worried about him,” Silva said.
Ronaldo is yet to score at these Euros which would give him more tournament records as the oldest ever goal scorer and the first man to find the net at six Euros.
He easily could have netted in the second half on Saturday but instead passed to Bruno Fernandes to tap home for the final score which also clinched first place in the group for the 2016 champions.
Martinez named the scene “extraordinary” and added: “It’s an example that should be shown in every academy in Portugal and in the world of football, because it showed that the team is the most important thing.”— dpa
