Ricardo Carvalho: "Martínez wanted to take Ronaldo off, but he said he wanted more"

Ricardo Carvalho discussed the management of Cristiano Ronaldo during his time with the Portugal national team in an interview with his former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel on The Obi One Podcast. The former Portugal international, who was part of Roberto Martínez's coaching staff, shed light on the challenges of handling the national team captain's playing time and admitted the Al Nassr forward should have been substituted more often.

"In my opinion, he should have taken him off. But then, on the other hand, Cristiano has earned all the credit throughout his career. If you know him, he's a player who always wants to play. He's been successful because he always wants to be out there, because he feels he can score," he explained.

"It was hard for Roberto to change his mindset because sometimes he was tired and couldn't track back, but he'd think to himself: 'A ball will come in and I'll score. A free-kick and I'll score.' That's just the way he is."

The former centre-back also shared an anecdote from the World Cup, during the second group-stage match against Uzbekistan, which Portugal won 5-0. Ronaldo had already scored a brace when the possibility of substituting him arose, but he had no intention of coming off. "We were leading 3-0, he had scored two goals. The manager was thinking about taking him off, but Cristiano said: 'I've only just started scoring, I want more.' He always wants more. Two wasn't enough, he wanted three or four," Carvalho revealed.

"Maybe that's why he has kept working towards more success, more goals, and reaching 1,000 career goals. He needs that."

Even so, the former international admitted that managing the Portuguese captain created dilemmas for the manager. "It's tough for a coach because you can't satisfy every player. You have 26 players, and if you treat Cristiano like that, it becomes difficult for the other strikers waiting for minutes, and even for the team. It's a hard call to make."

"From my own experience, as you get older, the later you come off, the worse it is, because fatigue sets in, you're late to challenges... For me, he should have been substituted earlier, but I'm not the head coach. It was Roberto's decision, and in the end, I think he was happy with what he chose. You have to make the call in the moment."

Ricardo Carvalho, who made his senior international debut in 2003 alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, had high praise for his former teammate's illustrious career, describing him as the ultimate all-round footballer.

"For me, he's the best player because he has everything: the physicality, the mentality... Look, he's not like Messi, who can pull off unbelievable things in one-on-ones, but physically he's right there, and in the air too. He is a powerhouse," he stated.

"He's not the same player he was ten years ago, but at Real Madrid, I witnessed unbelievable things. If you watch the goals from 2010 to 2013 or 2015, he was scoring from everywhere—from the left, from 30 yards, 20 yards, 10 yards, scoring wonder goals. It was incredible. Naturally, we have to accept that he's not the same player now. He's still good, but he's no longer the player I saw at Real Madrid," he added.

Ronaldo's future with the national team was also a topic of conversation. "He'll carry on for as long as he wants. I think it will be another year. He has his goal. He's right there, it's unbelievable. I think he wants to keep playing for Portugal," he noted.

"He's an icon in Portugal. I believe everyone at the Portuguese Football Federation is happy with him; they know what a massive name he is. He keeps scoring, keeps playing... It's tough. Whenever he wants to return, the door will be open, that's my feeling. The decision is his," he concluded.