Martinez: Ronaldo was not violent, he was just unlucky when he was pulled and pushed away

Hupu News, November 14th, Portugal lost to Ireland in Dublin on Thursday. Cristiano Ronaldo's elbow turned red. Head coach Roberto Martinez attended the post-match press conference.

This is an unforgettable game...

I agree, this is an unforgettable game. This kind of thing happens on the football field from time to time. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The Irish team performed well. We talked about set pieces, transitions... We lacked goals, but we fought until the end. We gave it our all in the last 20 minutes. We have to admit that Ireland deserved this win. Now as we look ahead to Sunday's game, we need the support of our home fans and we know we can rely on that. We look forward to the last game to secure promotion.

Why did you send Semedo to play?

This is an emotionally intense game. Cancelo received a yellow card. He was brought on to avoid him being sent off again. We can flexibly adjust the lineup according to the needs of the game.

C Ronaldo was sent off

We talked about it and I think it’s not easy for a player like Cristiano to be sent off in the penalty area. He was constantly in contact with defenders and opposing players were tugging on him. There was no violence, he just tried to push them away. He's out of luck. I feel like the frame angle makes the situation look worse than it actually is. This is his first red card for the national team, which is unbelievable.

I told him

We are preparing for the next game. You have won many games on behalf of the national team. That's what happens on the football field. We responded well, we gave it our all and showed courage. Now it's time to prepare for the next game.