TIAGO PETINGA/LUSA
Portuguese football coach Roberto Martínez.
The decision was made by the Spaniard and is independent of the corners’ performance in the World Championship, says talkSPORT radio. “It’s not news,” says the selector.
Roberto Martínez will leave the technical command of the National Team at the end of the 2026 World Cup, according to the radio station.
According to the British broadcaster, the decision not to renew the contract, which expires in July, would have come from the Spaniard himself and will be independent of Portugal’s performance in the competition, in which Portugal debuts this Wednesday, at 6pm, against DR Congo.
Martínez, 52, took over the Portuguese national team in 2023, after the departure of Fernando Santos. He has a contract until the end of the World Cup. talkSPORT says that the coach will be available to return to the Premier LeagueEnglish championship, where he has managed Swansea, Wigan and Everton. Still, the possibility of continuing his career as a coach will not be ruled out, after experiences in Belgium and Portugal.
The Portuguese Football Federation reacted to the news, highlighting that both the federative structure and Roberto Martínez are focused exclusively on Portugal’s participation in the World Cup.
“The FPF and Roberto Martinez are focused exclusively on the World Cup. The Federation and the coach are aligned on this issue, as they have already mentioned publicly”, says the FPF, cited by .
Martínez also minimized the news coming from England.
“It’s not news, the focus is to continue the work done in three and a half years. The focus is the same, the important thing is the World Cup”, said the selector to the press.
Jorge Jesus and Sérgio Conceição have been identified as the strongest names for a possible succession in command of the quinas team, according to the sports newspaper.
