As has been happening for more than a decade, the focus is on Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, who hopes to score his first goal in this edition of the tournament. The striker has been struggling to find his footing so far.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia questioned whether an aging Ronaldo should continue to start for the Portuguese team, which he has termed as the "dark horses" of the tournament.
"I think Portugal are one of the dark horses in this tournament, but I think the biggest problem for them would be how can we replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the second half? Or can we leave him on the bench from the start? That will be a big thing. Because I think Cristiano Ronaldo has been a fantastic player for our generation. He has been the best player in the world, but we have to accept that with age we lose speed and reflexes.
"At the age of 39, he still plays in the Euro Cup. Being a starter in the Portuguese national team is a great achievement. And that shows his quality, dedication and discipline towards the sport. But looking at the Euro Cup, we can all see that with age "We have to accept that he has lost his speed and his biggest strength was his speed and once you lose speed in the striking position, it becomes quite a big challenge," Bhutia told IANS.
The only goal contribution Ronaldo has recorded so far in the tournament was his assist for Bruno Fernandes, which many believed was an indication of his lack of confidence at the time, as he squared the ball rather than shooting from a very close range. good position.
The assist made Ronaldo the top scorer and assist scorer in Euro Cup history.
"It's not going to be easy for Portugal and Cristiano because they're going to have even more organized, faster, stronger and more experienced defenders. So, can the board have the courage to replace him or leave him out from the start? That's going to happen." . It would be a big bet and a big decision for management. If they don't, it may not really help Portugal.
"I don't mind that he starts, but I think that if things don't go well, he hasn't scored and he hasn't been fighting, then I think it's important that you have to replace him because there are good players on the bench for Portugal," added the former striker. .
Portugal will face Slovenia in the round of 16 and is expected to advance from the current round. They will face one from France/Belgium in the quarter-finals and will likely face one from Germany/Spain in the semi-finals of the tournament, making it an extremely difficult path to the final; Any changes that coach Roberto Martínez must make will have to be made in the match against Slovenia, so that the team adapts and adapts to the new changes.
"I think that if Cristiano now has to score, I don't see him scoring in open play. I can only see him scoring from a penalty or a free kick. That's the only thing I can see. The challenge from now on is if they can score." leave Cristiano as starter or replace him in the second half when necessary," Bhutia concluded.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia questioned whether an aging Ronaldo should continue to start for the Portuguese team, which he has termed as the "dark horses" of the tournament.
"I think Portugal are one of the dark horses in this tournament, but I think the biggest problem for them would be how can we replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the second half? Or can we leave him on the bench from the start? That will be a big thing. Because I think Cristiano Ronaldo has been a fantastic player for our generation. He has been the best player in the world, but we have to accept that with age we lose speed and reflexes.
"At the age of 39, he still plays in the Euro Cup. Being a starter in the Portuguese national team is a great achievement. And that shows his quality, dedication and discipline towards the sport. But looking at the Euro Cup, we can all see that with age "We have to accept that he has lost his speed and his biggest strength was his speed and once you lose speed in the striking position, it becomes quite a big challenge," Bhutia told IANS.
The only goal contribution Ronaldo has recorded so far in the tournament was his assist for Bruno Fernandes, which many believed was an indication of his lack of confidence at the time, as he squared the ball rather than shooting from a very close range. good position.
The assist made Ronaldo the top scorer and assist scorer in Euro Cup history.
"It's not going to be easy for Portugal and Cristiano because they're going to have even more organized, faster, stronger and more experienced defenders. So, can the board have the courage to replace him or leave him out from the start? That's going to happen." . It would be a big bet and a big decision for management. If they don't, it may not really help Portugal.
"I don't mind that he starts, but I think that if things don't go well, he hasn't scored and he hasn't been fighting, then I think it's important that you have to replace him because there are good players on the bench for Portugal," added the former striker. .
Portugal will face Slovenia in the round of 16 and is expected to advance from the current round. They will face one from France/Belgium in the quarter-finals and will likely face one from Germany/Spain in the semi-finals of the tournament, making it an extremely difficult path to the final; Any changes that coach Roberto Martínez must make will have to be made in the match against Slovenia, so that the team adapts and adapts to the new changes.
"I think that if Cristiano now has to score, I don't see him scoring in open play. I can only see him scoring from a penalty or a free kick. That's the only thing I can see. The challenge from now on is if they can score." leave Cristiano as starter or replace him in the second half when necessary," Bhutia concluded.
