Roberto Martinez opens up about Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement

Portugal’s head coach Roberto Martinez indicated that Cristiano Ronaldo has no plans to retire shortly.

Ronaldo ended the season as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 25 goals for his club Al Nassr and has also contributed to Portugal’s success in Nations League scoring five times in the same number of matches.

Portugal will play their UEFA Nations League semi-final against Germany on Wednesday. 

Martinez, while giving his views on their clash in Munich said that Ronaldo’s presence in the team helps young players. 

“On the field, he is meticulously monitored. Off the field, the players need to show team values, exemplary commitment,” Martinez said.

“When we talk about players like Joao Neves and Mora, having the opportunity to speak to Cristiano helps their performance in the future with the national team,” he added.

Reflecting on Ronaldo’s retirement Martinez said that no one has an idea about that. 

“It's like talking about the weather. Everyone has an opinion. No one has a plan, not even Cristiano himself.”

If Portugal finds a win in their clash with Germany they will face either Spain or France in the final on June 8 at the Stuttgart Arena. 

Martinez warranted the Nations Cup as an opportunity for the preparation of the World Cup stating that playing teams like France, Spain and Germany are perfect challenges for preparation.

"This team have shown significant resilience over these two and a half years, and facing teams like Germany, followed by maybe Spain or France, are perfect challenges to continue preparing the team for the World Cup."