Portugal hires Roberto Martínez as its new national team coach

Portugal hired former Belgium coach Roberto Martínez to le its national team on Monday.

Spaniard replaces Fernando Santos, who quit in December after Portugal’s elimination against Morocco in quarterfinals of World Cup. Santos left amid controversy of benching Cristia Ronaldo in kckout st of tournament in Qatar.

Martínez ended his six-year stint with Belgium after team’s disappointing group-st elimination at World Cup, when he again failed to le nation’s golden generation to a triumph.

He arrives to a Portugal team filled with talented players like Bernardo Silva, Bru Fernandes and João Félix, but also amid doubts over future of 37-year-old Ronaldo, who is w playing in Saudi Arabia.

49-year-old Martínez coached Belgium to a third-place finish at 2018 World Cup. Belgians were ranked . 1 by FIFA for four years during Martínez’s tenure but never won a major tournament despite having talented players like Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, country’s all-time leing scorer.

Martínez h said he me decision to leave Belgium before World Cup in Qatar. He was also national team’s technical director since 2020.

Martínez played and coached in England before he was hired by Belgium in 2016. His most impressive achievement in club manment was winning FA Cup with Wigan in 2013. club was eventually relegated from Premier League that same season, with Martínez n appointed by Everton, where he lasted three years before being fired.

68-year-old Santos left after eight years in charge of Portugal, having led national team to titles in 2016 European Championship — country’s first major trophy — and 2019 Nations League. He reached an agreement with federation to leave two years before his contract was to end.