Nainggolan reveals how Roberto Martinez justified World Cup snub

22 mag 2018

Roma star Radja Nainggolan was not included in Belgium’s World Cup squad and the talented midfielder has revealed to hln.be how Belgium boss Roberto Martinez explained him his decision: “I met him at Fiumicino on Sunday. He thought he wanted to see me to be sure about his decision to take me to the World Cup.”

“I played well this season, I reached the Champions League semi-finals, I couldn’t do more. Now I am the only top player that has not played the World Cup for two successive times and it’s so sad. Martinez told me that he’d build a club team around me if he had the chance but the National team is different. ‘I don’t have time to do it’, he told me”

“In the end Martinez told me that I am an important player who would not accept to sat on the bench for the entire game and enter the pitch in the final minutes. A young player would be happy but not me. I understand his explanation but I am asking myself what would happen if two midfielders got injured. Martinez feared he would have had problems if he took me to Russia.”