PORTUGAL
Roberto Martinez
“I want to thank the president of the Portuguese Federation (FPF). He said I was not his first choice; I was his only choice!” Those were the words of Jose Mourinho, the man not appointed Portugal’s new coach, just days after Roberto Martinez had been unveiled, signing a four-year contract with the Selecao.
Even before Mourinho’s typically mischievous remarks, it was an open secret that the Roma coach had been the top target of FPF head Fernando Gomes, but he could not be coaxed away from the Italian capital. Even so, with Portuguese managers in vogue around Europe and several available such as Andre Villas-Boas, Nuno Espirito Santo and Paulo Sousa, opting for a foreign manager came as a big surprise.
The appointment of Martinez is an attempt to adopt a new direction. Fernando Santos, Portugal’s longest-serving manager, enjoyed considerable success, yet was fiercely criticised in the latter part of his tenure for being overly conservative, intransigent and failing to get the most out of the enviable array of attacking talent at his disposal.
Martinez’s football philosophy is front-footed. Whether or not
