Lisbon: Former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has been named the new manager of Portugal’s national squad, the country’s football federation (FPF) said on Monday.
“I appreciate the enthusiasm and ambition with which he (Martinez) received the invitation,” FPF President Fernando Gomes told a news conference. “This is an important moment for the national team.”
Group stage
The managerial merry-go-round kicked off with a series of departures after the World Cup in Qatar last month. 49-year-old Martinez vacated his role with Belgium following their exit at the group stage. There was plenty of talk about a return to club football, possibly in his native Spain, but he has now replaced Fernando Santos at Portugal.
Martinez had been at the helm of Belgium since 2016, and there was huge expectation that a side containing Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, to name three, would win silverware.
