The Portugal national team has a new coach.
Roberto Martins, who led the Belgium team in the last World Cup and left after the elimination in the group stage, was appointed today (Monday) as the new coach of Portugal and signed a contract until 2026. He will replace Fernando Santos, who coached the team for 8 years.
The 49-year-old Martins has coached the Belgium national team for the past 6 years, and even before that he led Swansea City from England, Wigan and Everton as a coach.
In his presentation, he said: "Thank you all very much. I will try to learn Portuguese as soon as possible. I am very happy to be here, and to coach one of the most talented national teams in the world."
As expected, the incoming coach was asked about Cristiano Ronaldo, who was one of the biggest stars in the world, but in the last tournament was pushed into the Santos squad: "We will start a process in which we will get to know all the players who can be part of the squad. We will give each of them a chance and we will respect those who are already in the team. Cristiano is one from them. It's a process that should happen naturally, with responsibility, and we'll have to make some important decisions for the team. Cristiano Ronaldo deserves respect after 19 years as part of the national team, we're going to talk soon."
Martins is shown, photo: AFP
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