Cristiano Ronaldo working for a 'terrible coach'! Portugal boss Roberto Martinez ripped apart by former player for 'bullsh*t' approach & blamed for wasting golden generation of talent in stunning attack

Former Inter midfielder Nainggolan, now with Belgian club Lokeren, has never hidden his dislike for Martinez. The midfielder’s latest outburst came during an interview with content creator Junior Vertongen on YouTube, where he accused the Spanish coach of ending his international career for no valid reason.

"I didn’t have the impact I could’ve had, but that wasn’t just on me," Nainggolan said. "[Marc] Wilmots didn’t start me at Euro 2016, but I proved myself there. Then Martinez came in and dropped me without explanation. His reasons were bullsh*t. In my view, he’s not a football expert and a very poor coach." 

The 36-year-old insisted Belgium could have won major honours if the federation had chosen a stronger leader. "If Belgium had invested in a good manager just once, we could’ve won trophies," he said.

Belgium's biggest sporting achievement stretches to a gold medal at the Olympics in 1920. Since then, the nation have failed to deliver either a European Championship or World Cup, a failure that frustrated many who were part of the golden generation. They finished third at the World Cup in 2018, but have since been on the decline, with Nainggolan himself retiring from international duties in the aftermath of the tournament in Russia.

The former Roma star believes Martinez failed to create a real identity for Belgium, relying instead on the individual brilliance of players such as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.

"Anyone who says Martinez is a good coach doesn’t understand football," Nainggolan added. "A good coach gives a team an idea. We never had that with him. When things got hard, it was always the same: give the ball to Hazard or De Bruyne and hope they sort it out. That was the plan."

According to Nainggolan, Belgium’s structure under Martinez was non-existent, a criticism that has also been levelled at him during his current spell coaching Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal. "We had no patterns or running lines," he said. "We relied on moments. Maybe [Nacer] Chadli would do something, or [Axel] Witsel would send in a corner for [Marouane] Fellaini. That was our football."

Nainggolan also questioned Martinez’s handling of key players, suggesting that several stars were played out of position or ignored. "De Bruyne was told to play right forward when he wanted to be in midfield," he said. "He still did it because that’s what the coach asked. Martinez never talked to me because he didn’t want me involved. That’s how it was.

"It’s not about me being bitter. When I was seventh choice under Conte, I accepted it. But I respected him because he’s a top coach. Some managers you respect even if you don’t play; others you know aren’t up to the job. I've had coaches I played for, and I'd say, 'That was a terrible coach.' Martinez is one of those."

Nainggolan concluded by accusing Martinez of lacking humility. "He was great with the media, always saying everything was positive," he said. "But a good coach has to be self-critical. He never was."

Nainggolan, who has Indonesian roots, revealed that he now regrets representing Belgium at international level. "Every day I tell myself I should have played for Indonesia," he said. "It’s not that I dislike Belgium – I came through all their youth teams – but the respect I’d get there would be different. Players like Sandy Walsh or Ragnar Oratmangoen aren’t stars, but they’re adored. That means everything."

Martinez, meanwhile, has rebuilt his career with Portugal after leaving Belgium in 2022. He now manages Ronaldo and a talented squad featuring Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao. Portugal cruised through Euro 2024 qualifying under his watch, but questions remain over whether he can turn a team of stars into a cohesive unit.

While he has delivered Nations League success, Nainggolan's criticism of Martinez is not the first time questions have been raised about his tactical qualities.