The Best of Goals on Sunday – Roberto Martinez
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Who is Roberto Martinez and what is his role in football?
Welcome to the Goals on Sunday podcast. Our guest this week is Roberto Martinez. And it's a great show. Good to see you.
Morning, Roberto. It's great to see you.
Thank you for coming on.
Pleasure. It's always that yearly visit, but I don't know why Cammy didn't invite me last year.
What?
He didn't get the call-up last year. Cammy, what's that about?
I'll show you the text messages. But you're here now, which is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for having me. You must be still buzzing. To have those players, what you've got, playing for you at Belgium, you must wake up and think... What a result!
Well, it is. I think this generation is phenomenal. Not just from a talent point of view, that I think anyone can maybe put good talent in a dressing room. It's the attitude. We've got the majority of the players playing abroad and they almost celebrate coming back to Belgium. They commit themselves. International football can be very demanding, as you know, Alex. in the middle of a difficult season with your club, then you need to travel, you need to play two games in the difference of four days, and just to go into Kazakhstan playing against... And you've got the pressure of the whole nation. And this generation, they've been incredible, just to inspire others, to be able to see young players now in Belgium following their steps, and then, as you say, just to be able in a dressing room with this talented generation is a joy.
What is the expectancy of that nation that you just mentioned?
There's this so-called golden generation, which I think is a label that doesn't help anyone. Before the World Cup, that was the label that these players had. And in Belgium, it was always the generation of 86. If you remember in Mexico, Belgium finished fourth. And it was always that pressure to these players to do better. In Russia, it was the bronze medal. So at this point, they well deservedly called the golden generation.
How does Roberto Martinez feel about Belgium's golden generation of players?
But there is an expectation, there is a feeling that... Belgium could do something important in a big tournament.
Do you find that as a manager or do you try and play it down?
No, I think in our case you cannot play it down. Why would you play it down? These players are used to it. These players are the main players in the best teams around Europe and they expect it to win. They expect it to go out and perform. And I think it's not a pressure that they're not used to. It's a nice feeling. It's almost a target. It's an aspiration to be together. I think that's what you learn as a manager, a club-level manager, an international manager. When the game is played, the whole nation is behind you. The whole nation leaves every kick of every player. And I think it's important that you come to accept that feeling And I think our players now, they're in a good age. I would say that we've got almost around four or five players that did nearly the 100 caps, which is an incredible landmark.
And I think this group are ready to cope with that sort of pressure.
So you said you got the bronze medal in the World Cup, so you finished third. So did you achieve or underachieve at the World Cup?
Well, without a doubt, this is an achievement because that's never been done before in Belgian football. Bronze medal is a memory that will be treasured forever. You need to see the moment that we arrived in Belgium. It was incredible, the celebration. We had thousands of people in Brussels and it was a real get-together and almost thinking of a big achievement. I think the difference as well is not just the bronze medal. When you go to the World Cup, you've got two paths. One is when you face Brazil and the other one when you don't face Brazil. Because everyone can go to a World Cup and play without playing Brazil. I think playing Brazil is a real test. Psychologically, you're defeated. You go to the stadium, everything is yellow.
Everyone speaks about the team, the only team that has won the World Cup five times. And you need to find that belief as a team to be able to perform against a team like Brazil. To be able to beat Brazil and knock them out of the World Cup almost felt a sense of achievement.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Who is Roberto Martinez and what is his role in football?
0:07–2:00
2
How does Roberto Martinez feel about Belgium's golden generation of players?
2:00–4:36
3
What achievements has Belgium made under Roberto Martinez's management?
4:36–7:23
4
How does Roberto Martinez handle the pressure of managing a national team?
7:23–11:11
5
What is the significance of the World Cup bronze medal for Belgium?
11:11–18:07
6
What strategies does Martinez use to develop young football talent in Belgium?
18:07–26:24
7
How does VAR impact decision-making in football according to Martinez?
26:24–29:15
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Sky Sports Premier League Podcast
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