Roberto Martinez’s departure from Portugal’s technical command was confirmed at a press conference, shortly after the team’s elimination from the World Cup, with a defeat to Spain this Monday (6). A Portuguese publication revealed that Jorge Jesus, former Flamengo coach, is tipped to be his successor. Currently, the Portuguese coach was at Al Nassr, where he worked with star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Martinez’s agreement with the federation ends now and will not be extended, as he himself ratified during the interview given after the elimination of the team.
“It’s the end of the cycle, it’s important now to have it again, it’s legitimate that the president (of the Federation) can choose his coach, I thank you for all the support you gave me”, declared Roberto Martinez at the time.
A Portuguese newspaper, “A BOLA”, reported that the replacement for the national team has already been defined, and the chosen one is Jorge Jesus. He finds himself without commitments on the market after leaving Al Nassr at the end of the most recent season. At the Saudi club, he guided Cristiano Ronaldo and won the national championship title.
After the Portuguese team returns from the United States, a meeting is scheduled between Jorge Jesus and Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Federation, to formalize the new contract, according to additional information from the newspaper.
The Portugal team was eliminated this Monday (6) from the World Cup, after being defeated in the round of 16. In a closely contested game against Spain, midfielder Mikel Merino found the net in the final moments of the match, securing a 1-0 victory.
Despite having a squad considered one of the strongest in its history, the Portuguese team failed to advance much in the tournament. In the group stage, the team started with a draw against DR Congo and, in the second round, seemed to get going after beating Uzbekistan.
However, in the third match of the group stage, Portugal again showed difficulties and was 0-0 against Colombia, in a game where they were dominated by their opponents, ranking in second place. In the round of 16, the team beat Croatia in a thrilling upset.
