Portugal have confirmed the appointment of Roberto Martinez as their new head coach, bringing links with Jose Mourinho to an end.
The 49-year-old Spaniard was previously in charge of the Belgium national team, which he left after a group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
He is now hired as Portugal’s coach in January 2023.
Roberto Martnez Montoliu (born 13 July 1973) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player who currently leads Portugal.
Martnez began his career as a defensive midfielder at Real Zaragoza, where he won the Copa del Rey. He spent a year in the lower leagues with CF Balaguer before joining English Third Division side Wigan Athletic.
He was a regular first team member for six years at the club known as “the three amigos,” alongside Jes Seba and Isidro Daz. During his stay there, he won the Football League Third Division and the Football League Trophy. He joined Scottish club Motherwell.
Then he moved on to Walsall before joining Swansea City in 2003. In 2005, he was named club captain and helped the squad gain promotion to League One. In 2006, he transferred to Chester City and was named captain once more.
He retired from playing in 2007 to become manager of Swansea City, which he led to promotion from League One as champions. He subsequently joined Wigan Athletic in 2009, where he helped the team escape relegation for three seasons in a row. Wigan were relegated in his fourth season, but won the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history in 2013.
At the end of that season, he was appointed manager of Everton, where he finished sixth in his first season. He was fired as their manager in May 2016, and became Belgium’s head coach on August 3, 2016.
Martinez led Belgium to third place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their best-ever finish in the competition, as well as first spot in the FIFA World Rankings from 2018 to 2022. After the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he resigned from Belgium.
