After Ronaldo's red card, Roberto Martínez steps up! | OneFootball

Interview

Cristiano Ronaldo's red card: Roberto Martínez rushes to his captain's defense!

After Ronaldo's red card, Roberto Martínez steps up!

It was a long and painful night for Portugal. Already frustrated after their 2-2 draw with Hungary, which denied them an early World Cup qualification, Roberto Martínez's men suffered another nightmare scenario in Dublin. Trailing 2-0 to a brave and aggressive Ireland, the Portuguese saw things spiral out of control after Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off—a first in his international career.

The turning point came in the 65th minute. Battling Dara O’Shea in the box, Ronaldo was initially shown a yellow card for an elbow... until VAR upgraded the incident to serious foul play. The result: a straight red card, and a Portugal side already struggling collapsed mentally. CR7, who had never before been sent off for the Seleção, will now miss the next match against Armenia—a crucial fixture in the race for qualification.

Roberto Martínez explains

Martínez also made sure to remind everyone of what Ronaldo has brought to the Seleção:

With sporting frustration, refereeing controversy, and the upcoming absence of their superstar, Portugal must regroup quickly. Armenia is coming, and this time, there will be no Cristiano Ronaldo to save the day.