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LONDON. — Roberto Martinez has been named Portugal manager just a month after leaving Belgium.
The 2016 European Championship winners parted ways with Fernando Santos after being dumped out of the FIFA World Cup in the quarter-finals.
Similarly, Martinez walked out on his role as Belgium manager following their group stage elimination in Qatar.
But within a month, the ex-Everton boss has returned to international management after accepting the Portugal job.
“I am very happy to represent one of the national teams with the best talent in the world,” said Martinez.
“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 took the Belgium role in 2016 after three successful years with Everton.
He led them to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup before they were beaten by champions France.
They were then also eliminated by the eventual winners Italy at the Euros in 2021.
But last year’s winter World Cup was a terrible disappointment for Martinez and the Belgium squad.
They failed to get out of their group after managing just four points from games against Canada, Morocco and Croatia.
Martinez then left following the tournament as his contract had expired.
Club sides were said to have been interested in him, including a rumoured return to Everton.
But it is Portugal which tempted Martinez the most, signing on ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany.
Although it remains to be seen whether captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be part of Martinez’s plan.
Ronaldo (37) was dropped for Portugal’s last 16 and quarter-final matches and exited the World Cup in tears.
He left Manchester United during the tournament and has since joined Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alberto, who played under Jose Mourinho at Porto, claims the Roma manager is set to take over as Brazil boss and has already asked him to be his assistant.
Mourinho has been linked with replacing Tite as Brazil manager, with the former boss leaving after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where his side were beaten on penalties in the quarter-finals by Croatia.
Some huge names have been touted as Tite’s replacement, with Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane also mentioned, but Alberto says Mourinho is at the front of the queue.
The Brazilian, who won the Champions League with Mourinho at Porto in 2004 and won five caps for his country says the Portuguese is already lining up his coaching staff for the huge move.
“Let me say it directly. Perhaps Mourinho will be Brazil’s new coach. This is a news I’m publicly reporting,” Alberto said on the Mundo GV podcast.
“He’s also asked me to work as his assistant.” — The Sun
Online Reporter