The Portugal coach reacts to the news of his departure and announces shocking news before the opening of the World Cup.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez of Spain has settled the controversy surrounding his future in Brazil’s Europa League by insisting his full focus is on the 2026 World Cup, hours before they face Democratic Republic of Congo in Portugal’s campaign opener.

Portugal, one of the top contenders for the title, will open their World Cup campaign against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Houston amid speculation over Martinez’s future with the team after his current contract expires.

“There is no news.”

During the press conference before the meeting, Martinez was asked if… Reports linked him with leaving after the tournamentTo confirm that it is not worth all these contradictions.

According to the newspaper, the Spanish coach said.Brand:“Spanish” There is no news about my future. Our focus is on continuing the work started 3 and a half years ago. Now we are in the World Cup after playing 40 matches and winning the Europa League. “All our attention is directed to the tournament, so I say again, there is no news.”

Praise for the preparatory period

Before the start of the competition, Martinez expressed his complete satisfaction with the preparation of the Portuguese team, noting that the team has reached the necessary preparation at different levels.

“I think the preparatory period was ideal by all standards. One problem we have is that Ruben Diaz is not yet fully fit and therefore he will not be available for the first match. We don’t want to risk him, especially as he continues to train individually.”

He added: “Also, it was a very positive period and the level of training was very high. We adjusted to the time difference, adjusted to the humidity and temperature in Miami, and now we’re ready to play in the match.”

The shock of Ruben Diaz

The Portugal coach spoke about the fitness of his defender Ruben Diaz, explaining that the recent injury will keep him out of the opening game.

Martinez said. “Ruben Diaz arrived in camp in good form after playing the full 90 minutes for his club in the English Premier League, but he faced a strong challenge in the friendly against Nigeria.”

He continued. “The medical tests were encouraging, but it’s not the right time to take a risk on an important player like him. We want him to be 100% ready for the World Cup matches.”

Warning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Martinez refused to underestimate his first opponent in the tournament, stressing that the Democratic Republic of Congo has the qualities that make him a difficult opponent.

“We have to have a lot of respect for the team of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have a coach who has been working with the team for a long time and they took advantage of enough time to prepare. They also produced an exceptional preparation phase and qualified for the World Cup after beating Nigeria to advance to the world play-offs.”

He continued. “The Congolese team is not only a defensive team in the low block, but has great tactical flexibility. African teams have developed a lot in recent years and become more diverse, and also include a large number of players who are active in the strongest European leagues.”