This time it is well and truly over. As expected, Fernando Santos did not survive the elimination of Portugal against Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. In a statement released this Thursday evening, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) formalized the separation with his now ex-coach. The two parties reached an agreement”to end the highly successful journey that began in September 2014“, indicated the FPF, whose management “will now launch the process to choose the next national coach“.
“I leave with the feeling of enormous gratitude. (…) When you lead a group, you have to make some difficult decisions. It’s normal that not everyone is happy with the choices I made“, responded Fernando Santos in a video published on the federation’s website. The 68-year-old Portuguese coach said last Saturday, after the last World Cup match, that he was not considering resigning. , but the local press has since assured that the leaders of the FPF wanted to shorten his mandate, supposed to last until Euro 2024.
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Euro 2016 as a highlight
In more than eight years, Fernando Santos offered Portugal the first major titles in its history: Euro 2016 organized in France then the 2019 Nations League won on Portuguese soil. But the stern-looking coach is also responsible for the eliminations suffered in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. Before a last quarter of this 2022 World Cup.
His detractors mainly criticized his excessively realistic style of play, which did not allow the Seleçao to take advantage of the emergence of a new generation of talented players. Then, in the middle of the World Cup, he ended up cropping Ronaldo, left on the bench at the start of the round of 16 won against Switzerland (6-1) after showing his dissatisfaction at having been replaced in the previous match. .
And now, who for the bench of Portugal? Asked by journalists shortly before the formalization of the departure of Santos, on his arrival in the south of Portugal for an internship with Roma, José Mourinho made no comment on the rumors of his possible appointment. Portuguese coaches Rui Jorge (under-21 coach), Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras), Paulo Fonseca (Lille), Rui Vitoria (Egypt coach) and Jorge Jesus (Fenerbahçe) are also among the potential candidates cited by the media.
(With AFP)
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