Spanish coach Roberto Martinez has been named the new coach of the Portuguese national team.
He comes in as a replacement for Fernando Santos who was sacked after the European country got knocked out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by Morocco in the quarter finals.
Martinez too left his role as the Belgian coach after 6 years.
The former Real Zaragoza coach oversaw the greatest era of Belgian football.
But sadly the golden era didn’t live up to the expectations.
In what was arguably the last dance for several stars, the Red Devils didn’t get past the group stages of the World Cup in Qatar.
Roberto Martinez however said that he had already made his decision to leave his role even if Belgium had won the World Cup.
“I am delighted to be able to represent one of the most talented teams in the world,” Martínez said.
“I understand there are great expectations … but I also understand there is a very large team [at the federation] … and together we will achieve our goals,” said Martinez on being unveiled as the new Portuguese coach.
He was asked about the situation of Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Martinez said that “I want to contact all 26 players who were at the last World Cup … Cristiano is a player on that list” before adding that he wants to “sit down and talk” with the highest goalscorer of men’s international football with 118 goals.
Ronaldo who recently joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nasr was left out of the starting 11 of two World Cup matches.
Fernando Gomes, the President of the Portuguese Football Federation while unveiling Martinez said that
“I appreciate the enthusiasm and ambition with which he received the invitation. This is an important moment for the national team.”
Fernando Santos joined the Portuguese national team and won teo trophies with them.
This was the 2016 Euros title and the UEFA nations league.
