The Portuguese Football Federation announced today, Monday, the appointment of Spaniard Roberto Martinez as coach of the Portuguese national team, succeeding Portuguese Fernando Santos after leading Belgium from 2016 until its exit from the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
The first challenge facing the 49-year-old, whose contract duration was not immediately set, is to clarify the role of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just left after a controversy-filled World Cup. Al Nassr FC .
Martinez said in a press conference: “My starting point will be the group of 26 players who played in the World Cup, and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them,” while adding cautiously that he will make his decisions “on the ground, not on the ground.” office”.
The Catalan departed at the head of the Red Devils in early December, stressing that their early exclusion from the World Cup was not a reason for his departure, which he decided immediately before the start of the tournament.
After a difficult victory over Canada (1-0), Belgium followed it with a defeat against Morocco (2-0) and a draw against Croatia (0-0).
Martinez took over as coach of Belgium in 2016, after a painful exit from the European Championship quarter-finals against Wales. Under his leadership, the national team reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, after losing to France, which would win the tournament, and remained at the top of the FIFA world rankings for more than three years.
The Portuguese national team is also emerging from a long period of stability after eight years under the leadership of Fernando Santos, who gave it the first major titles in its history: Euro 2016 and the first edition of the United Nations League in 2019.
When the 68-year-old coach announced his departure, five days after the Seleção was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup against Morocco (1-0), the Portuguese press reported that the federation wanted to sign a contract with his compatriot. Jose Mourinho, under contract with Roma.
