Former Belgium and Everton head coach Roberto Martinez has been appointed the Portuguese head coach. The 49-year-old Spaniard replaces Fernando Santos, who resigned after Portugal’s quarter-final defeat by Morocco at the World Cup last month.
Portugal Appoints Roberto Martinez as Their New Head Coach
Roberto Martinez stepped down as the manager of Belgium following their poor run in the just concluded Fifa World Cup which Argentina won. They were knocked out in the group stage, and the coach who has been with them for the past six years stepped down after the disappointing outing.
He has now been appointed by Portugal to manger the country’s national team. Speaking of his new deal he said: “I am very happy to represent one of the national teams with the best talent in the world.” Martinez also said: “I am very excited to be here. From the first time I spoke with the president of the federation, I knew this was a sporting project that would excite me.”
“I understand there are great expectations and big objectives, but there is a great team of people at the federation and I have great excitement that together we can achieve those objectives.” Portugal football president Fernando Gomes said: “This is an important moment for the national team.”
Martinez spent four years as Wigan manager, which included winning the 2013 FA Cup, before a three-year spell at Everton in which they finished fifth once and 11th twice in the Premier League. Appointed Belgium’s coach in 2016, he led them to the top of the Fifa rankings in 2018 after they came third at the World Cup in Russia.
