Karel Poborsky has expressed his view that Cristiano Ronaldo could be one of Portugal’s less impactful players in their first match of Euro 2024 against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night.
Ronaldo, who will be participating in his 11th major international competition after debuting at Euro 2004, has had an impressive season with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, netting 50 goals in 51 games.
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Despite his club success at 39 years old, Ronaldo is facing stiff competition for his position in Portugal’s forward line, with Diogo Jota of Liverpool, Goncalo Ramos of Paris Saint-Germain, and Joao Felix from Barcelona all vying for a spot.
Poborsky, a veteran of 118 matches for the Czech Republic and three European Championships, suggests that the Czech team could benefit if Ronaldo is chosen to start in Portugal’s Euro 2024 opener.
‘I have been saying for a long time that in that case he will be one of their weakest links,’ Poborsky told The Czech News Agency.
‘The fans of both teams will go crazy for him, but at his age he is not as good for building the game and pressing as his younger teammates. So our team would rather him start.
‘Hats off to him for what he has achieved – thanks to his enormous self-confidence. But you can’t stop age, he is 39.
‘We don’t know how he is with coach Roberto Martinez, but it was written about before that his predecessor Fernando Santos already encountered a problem at the World Cup in Qatar.’
Despite his belief that Ronaldo will hinder Portugal, Poborsky still considers Roberto Martinez’s side one of the favourites to win the Euros.
‘I expect the Portuguese to attack us again right from the start. The chosen tactics, the willingness to run a lot without the ball and also the courage to quickly switch to the attack, because a strong opponent can be threatened even from a deep defensive block,’ Poborsky said.
‘Portugal is one hundred percent among the three, four the biggest favorites of the championship.’
