Soccer-Martinez departs as Portugal head coach, confirms Portuguese Football Federation


Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Round of 16 - Portugal v Spain - Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. - July 6, 2026 Portugal coach Roberto Martinez arrives at the stadium before the match REUTERS/Issei Kato

July 8 (Reuters) - ⁠The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Wednesday ⁠confirmed the departure of national team ‌coach Roberto Martinez following the expiry of his contract.

"The Portuguese Football Federation announces that ​it officially ended its contractual ⁠relationship with the ⁠National Team Coach, Roberto Martinez, and his ⁠coaching ‌staff this Wednesday," the FPF said in a statement.

• ⁠The announcement came two days after ​Martinez said ‌he would be leaving the role ⁠following ​Portugal's 1-0 defeat by Spain in the World Cup Round of 16 on ⁠Monday.

• The 52-year-old Spaniard ​was appointed Portugal coach in January 2023 after leaving Belgium and guided the ⁠team to the UEFA Nations League title in 2025.

• The FPF said it had already begun the search for ​a successor "with the ⁠aim of continuing to promote the ambition ​and winning culture" ‌within the national team ​set-up.

(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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