On June 19th, in the first round of Group F in the Euros, Portugal narrowly won their opening match against the Czech Republic, 2-1. Following the game, a Liverpool-leaning media outlet criticized Portuguese manager Martinez for benching Jota in favor of Ronaldo and argued that for Portugal’s progress, Jota should be firmly established as a starter.
The Liverpool-oriented media supported Jota, stating, “Ronaldo made history by becoming the first player to feature in six consecutive European Championship tournaments. With five Ballon d’Ors to his name and being the all-time top scorer in Euro history, Ronaldo is undeniably great. However, it’s unjust that Jota has to suffer because of this.”
The publication continued, “In the warm-up matches against Finland and Croatia, Jota scored goals, demonstrating excellent form. More importantly, even when he doesn’t score, Jota poses a significant threat to opposing defenses. Conversely, when Ronaldo fails to find the back of the net, Portugal often finds itself in difficulty. Nevertheless, whether or not Manager Martinez has the courage to bench Ronaldo for a substitute role in the starting lineup remains to be seen.”
