"Martinez is probably one of the most disappointing coaches at the World Cup. He wasted Belgium's golden generation, and now it seems the same is happening with Portugal," Abola (Portugal) quoted Schmeichel as saying.

This criticism comes after Portugal's opening match against DR Congo in the World Cup 2026, where Martinez employed a 4-3-3 system. The lineup featured four attacking midfielders focused on control: Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves. The other two forwards were left winger Pedro Neto and captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Coach Roberto Martinez during Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo in Group K of the World Cup 2026, held in Houston, Texas, US on 17/6. *Photo: Reuters*

This tactical arrangement left Portugal stifled and struggling against DR Congo's five-man defense. In the first half, Portugal took the lead through Joao Neves but could not maintain it, with Yoane Wissa scoring an equalizer. In the second half, coach Martinez made four substitutions, bringing on Francisco Conceicao, Rafael Leao, Nelson Semedo, and Goncalo Ramos to refresh the attack. However, Portugal failed to improve their play and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Schmeichel expressed particular displeasure with Martinez benching highly impactful players such as Leao and Joao Felix, noting that Felix did not even enter the game, especially when Portugal's tactical system was ineffective. "How can you keep players like Felix and Leao on the bench while maintaining a system that clearly isn't working? Portugal has too much attacking talent to play such a predictable and cautious game," the former Man Utd goalkeeper stated. "His tactics are too conservative. The attack lacks creativity, the midfield often loses connection, and substitutions usually come too late to make a difference."

Schmeichel believes the draw with DR Congo serves as a warning for Portugal's ambitions. "They possess one of the strongest squads in the tournament, but they haven't played close to their true potential. If they don't change quickly, they could waste another golden opportunity to win the World Cup," he emphasized.

Martinez's history with Belgium's "golden generation" provides a similar context for Schmeichel's concerns. He managed Belgium after succeeding Marc Wilmots in august 2016, overseeing a squad that included Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Yannick Carrasco, and earlier, Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, and Mousa Dembele. Across 80 matches under Martinez, Belgium won 56, achieving a 70% win rate – the highest in the national team's history, excluding interim managers.

Despite their strong win rate, Belgium did not achieve the expected success under Martinez. They lost to Wales in the Euro 2016 quarterfinals, only secured a bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup, lost to Italy in the Euro 2021 quarterfinals, and finished fourth in the 2021 UEFA Nations League. The peak of disappointment came at the 2022 World Cup when they defeated Canada 1-0, lost to Morocco 0-2, drew with Croatia 0-0, and were eliminated in the group stage.

Coach Roberto Martinez shakes hands with Kevin De Bruyne after Belgium's 0-0 draw with Croatia in the 2022 World Cup group stage at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar, on 1/12/2022. This result led to Belgium's elimination from the group stage. *Photo: Reuters*

Beyond tactical issues, the 52-year-old coach struggled to control the locker room at the 2022 World Cup. Three stars, De Bruyne, Jan Vertonghen, and Eden Hazard, reportedly had an altercation after the loss to Morocco. De Bruyne even made divisive statements, criticizing Belgium's squad as being too old to compete for the championship.

Before coaching national teams, Martinez managed three clubs in England. He began his coaching career at Swansea City in 2007, quickly leading the team to the Championship with a League One title. In 2009, he became Wigan's coach, making a significant impact by winning the 2013 FA Cup – the club's first major title in its history. Subsequently, Martinez managed Everton, guiding the team to a fifth-place finish in his first season, securing qualification for the Europa League, before being dismissed in 2016.

Peter Schmeichel, a legendary figure in football, played for Man Utd from 1991-1999, securing 15 titles including five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup, four FA Charity Shields, one Champions League, and one UEFA Super Cup. He also captained Man Utd multiple times during their historic treble-winning season in 1999. At the national team level, Schmeichel earned 129 caps for Denmark, with the highlight being the Euro 1992 championship. He was voted the World's Best Goalkeeper by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) in 1992 and 1993, and IFFHS also ranked him among the top 10 goalkeepers of the 20th century.

Hong Duy (according to Abola)