Martinez rejects numerous changes in Bosnia

Coach Roberto Martinez said this Sunday that he will “try to make as few changes as possible” to Portugal’s eleven in Bosnia and Herzegovina to qualify for Euro 2024, stressing that the goal is to win Group J.

“It is important for us to continue to maintain the same focus and win the group, which is the goal. Then we need to make changes, ensure freshness, and now we have the information to know if we need a lot of changes or Not. The idea is to continue as we did at the training camp in September and try to make the minimum number of changes,” the Spanish coach explained at a press conference dedicated to the match of the eighth round.

Roberto Martinez made it clear that “making changes for the sake of change is pointless” and that the idea is to “follow the direction of the work being done.”

Kinas, who have already secured qualification for Euro 2024 after their 3-2 triumph over Slovakia, will face a hostile environment on Friday in Zenica in Zenica, but for Martinez it will be a “challenge”, especially since For the hosts, the game is a “final”.

“It’s a challenge, [o estado da] grass, rain and temperature. I think a winning team has to overcome these problems to prove themselves and be able to adapt. Tomorrow [segunda-feira] This is the final for Bosnia in the qualifying stage, in a very strong atmosphere, and we need to balance or match the emotional level of this Bosnia, which has a new coach. Let’s look at a better Bosnia,” he said.

The Portugal coach went on to talk about the individuality of the Bosnians, who remain fourth in the pool with nine points, which he believes does not reflect the quality of the team.

“Now they have a different structure, a different idea, the same players, but Bosnia is worth more than the results show. They have players like Pjanic, Dzeko, who were among the top three strikers last season. , Kolasinac and young players with potential,” he specified.

Finally, he was asked about Bruno Fernandes’ performances and his impact on the Portugal national team, for whom he has already scored seven assists and four goals in this qualifying round.

“A player who has seven assists can only be smart. He adapts to the qualities of his teammates, shows great tactical flexibility and having a player like Bruno is a dream. He has excellent vision and, after all, “I really like working without the ball. He has adapted in many positions and is a key player for us,” he praised.

After seven rounds, Portugal have already qualified and retain overall victory in Group J, leading with 21 points, eight more than second-place Slovakia. Luxembourg is third with 11, followed by Bosnia with nine and Iceland with seven. Liechtenstein still has no points.

The first two places in the group give direct access to the final phase of the next European Championship, which will be held in Germany.

The Bosnia-Portugal match will take place at 20:45 local time (19:45 in Lisbon) on Monday. He will be judged by the Turk Halil Umut Meler.

In November, Portugal will close out the qualifying round with a trip to Liechtenstein and an invitation to Iceland.