Original title: Martinez becomes men’s soccer coach of Portugal
The Portuguese Football Federation held a press conference on the 9th to announce that 49-year-old Spaniard Roberto Martinez has been appointed coach of the Portuguese men’s football team.
Roberto Martinez, then head coach of the Belgium national team, was present at the press conference of the World Cup in Qatar on November 10. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong
Martinez played for Wigan Athletic, Swansea and other teams as a player, and became a manager after retiring. After successively managing Swansea, Wigan Athletic and Everton, Martinez was hired as Belgium national team manager in 2016, and then led the team to third place in the 2018 World Cup. Under his leadership, Europe’s “Red Devils” they have been ranked number one in the FIFA rankings for many consecutive years. In the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Belgian team only took third place in the group and failed to qualify, Martinez also announced his departure after the contract expired.
The former coach of the Portuguese men’s soccer team, Fernando Santos, has coached the Portuguese team since 2014 and led the team to win the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 UEFA Europa League. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Portuguese team lost to Morocco and missed the semifinals. After the World Cup, the Portuguese Football Federation announced Santos’ departure.
The newly appointed Martinez will lead the Portuguese team to Euro 2024. The group stage of Euro qualifying will start in March 2023. (Chen Boqiao)
