Roberto Martínez downplays controversy, praises key Benfica figure | OneFootball

On the afternoon of Friday, October 3rd, Roberto Martínez revealed the names of the players who will be part of the National Team squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. In addition, the national coach answered questions from journalists and still had time to say a few words about José Mourinho, coach of Benfica.

After announcing that António Silva is one of those selected for the squad, the Spaniard addressed the return of the Special One to Portugal: “For me, that’s not an issue. Mister Mourinho is an asset to Portuguese football, in three seasons I have never spoken about internal club matters.”

Next, Roberto Martínez recalled that both are working to achieve the same goal, that is, to elevate the national sport: “We are on the same side of the barricade, working for the development of Portuguese football. The noise from outside is for you, our focus is on the present.”

Focused on the team’s upcoming commitments, which will face the Republic of Ireland and, later, Hungary, the Spaniard set the goal for this international break: “We’ve had 12 consecutive wins, something that had never happened before. We want win number 13 and 14.”

Finally, the national coach explained that with his experience, he already knows what he has to do in the sport, revealing what his only goal is at this stage of his career: “I’ve been in football for many years, I understand, but I don’t talk about the future.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.