Roberto Martínez brushed aside Portuguese media criticism on June 23 in Houston, turning the spotlight back on Portugal’s preparation before its match against Uzbekistan. He said that if people read the Portuguese press, they would think the team was always at the beach.
The remarks landed now because Portugal’s next match is against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, and the debate over the team’s beach trips has followed them through the tournament. Portugal trained in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, before the event, and players were criticized for going to the beach before their opening game.
That scrutiny only grew after Portugal drew with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its first match. Martínez said the team did not have time to watch other games because its analysts and staff were busy preparing every step, pushing back at the suggestion that the players were spending their days idle.
Matheus Nunes has given the beach visits a different explanation. He said they were part of the plan from the start, with morning trips designed to help the squad adjust to the heat, sun and humidity. Nunes, who said he spends much of the year playing in Manchester, added that the climate there is far cooler than in the United States, calling the difference “a diferença brutal.”
That leaves the dispute in plain view: what Portuguese media framed as leisure, Portugal’s camp describes as climate work. João Neves has also said Cristiano Ronaldo should be treated like the other players, and Francisco Conceição has denied that anyone is under obligation to pass him the ball, but the loudest argument before Uzbekistan remains the one over how Portugal prepared. Martínez’s answer in Houston suggests he is not about to change the message, even if the criticism keeps following the team into its next match.
