Jose Mourinho’s Harsh Criticisms: Ronaldo and Portugal’s Euro 2024 Disappointment
The Portuguese national team, filled with star players, was one of the favorites to win Euro 2024 in Germany. However, under the management of Roberto Martinez, the team was eliminated by France in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals, ending their tournament run.
Fenerbahçe head coach Jose Mourinho evaluated his country’s performance in Euro 2024, stating that the team did not fully reflect its potential.
Speaking to Sport TV, the experienced coach emphasized that despite reaching the quarterfinals, Portugal did not perform at the expected level.
Mourinho’s Statements
“The team’s potential was extremely high. I had said that Portugal, France, and England were among the favorites. Two of those teams are in the semifinals. Spain has been the biggest surprise of the tournament. They are currently playing the best and have shown the best performance throughout the tournament,” Mourinho said.
“We Didn’t Make Progress”
Mourinho pointed out that although Portugal reached the quarterfinals, they did not deliver a satisfactory performance. “Portugal was not fantastic; we expected more. I was in the stadium for the friendly match against Croatia, and to be honest, the team didn’t give off good vibes. We made progress throughout the tournament, but we were not convincing. When the critical moment came, such teams are stronger. This was not the end for Portugal; there was no progress in the team. However, this is a young team, aside from two veterans [Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe], and they have years ahead of them. The World Cup is approaching,” he stated.
Ronaldo’s Future Uncertain
With Portugal’s elimination in the quarterfinals against France, the question of whether Cristiano Ronaldo will continue his international career has arisen. The 39-year-old star did not score in the tournament but still made numerous headlines.
Ronaldo needs to decide whether he will continue his international career. The Al-Nassr star has scored 130 goals in 212 matches for the national team and has hinted that he might participate in the new season of the Nations League starting in September.
