Roberto Martínez stops as national coach of Belgium. Immediately after the elimination of the ‘Red Devils’ at the World Cup in Qatar, the Spaniard announced that the group match with Croatia was his last international match, although he had already made that decision before the tournament.
“This was my last game,” Martínez said surprisingly at the press conference after the 0-0 draw at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium. The contract of Martínez, who was appointed six years ago, also expired after the World Cup.
“I’m not leaving. This was just always the plan,” he said. “I have already said goodbye to the players and staff. That was of course very emotional.”
Led by 49-year-old Martínez, Belgium impressed with a golden crop of players by conquering first place in the FIFA world rankings. Third place at the 2018 World Cup was the highlight.
“I am proud of what we have achieved. When I started, Jan Ceulemans was a record international with 96 international matches. Now we have almost eight players with more than a hundred caps. We leave something beautiful behind.”
Eindstand in groep F
- 1. Marokko * 3-7 (4-1)
- 2. Kroatië * 3-5 (4-1)
- 3. België 3-4 (1-2)
- 4. Canada 3-0 (2-7)
‘Everyone respects him’
At the European Championship in 2021, Martínez reached the quarter-finals with Belgium, after which the World Cup in Qatar turned out to be a disappointment. The first game against Canada was still won with hanging and strangling, but then a defeat against Morocco and a draw against Croatia followed. It is the first time since 2010 (when Belgium did not participate) that the country is missing from the knockout phase of a World Cup.
Jan Vertonghen said after the elimination that Martínez’s departure has not affected the performance in Qatar. “It was already decided before the World Cup and we already knew it then,” said Vertonghen. “Everyone in the selection has a lot of respect for Martínez. His announcement that he was going to stop didn’t change anything. Everyone went for this World Cup, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
On March 24, the next match is scheduled for the Belgians, who now have to look for a new national coach. Belgium will then play an away match against Sweden in the European Championship qualification.
