Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, confrontation

Portugal sacked its coach Fernando Santos after being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup against Morocco, ending the 68-year-old’s seven-year run on top of Cristiano Ronaldo and the like.

Roberto Martinez, the former Everton and Belgium manager, was brought in to lead Portugal in a new direction, and the Spaniard got off to a solid start in charge of the Seleçao, although there was less opposition.

With 10 goals not conceded, Portugal easily beat small Central European nations Liechtenstein and Luxembourg in Euro 2024 qualifiers. After a 4-0 win over the first, the second was demolished 6-0. Ronaldo scored twice in both matches, bringing his impressive international tally to 122 goals.

What did Ronaldo and Fernandez say?

Unsurprisingly, the 38-year-old paid tribute to Martinez’s influence, saying on the eve of the match against Liechtenstein: “It’s a new chapter for the team: it’s a new chapter for everyone, for the players, the staff and the country. We feel good energy. It’s a breath of fresh air.”

But fellow Portuguese and former Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes disagrees with Ronaldo’s statement. “No, it’s just a new coach with new ideas,” he told Portuguese TV channel RTP3. “There is absolutely no fresh air,” the 28-year-old continued. “It’s just a transitional period.”

He then insisted that there was no problem in the Portuguese camp: “The atmosphere in the national team has always been good. There was nothing that wasn’t new, so I think it’s just a new dynamic, a new coach, and you have to absorb his ideas.”

Ronaldo and Fernandes meet again in June when group leaders Portugal continue their qualifiers against Iceland and Slovakia.