Belgium coach Roberto Martinez announced on Thursday that he was leaving his post, after his team was eliminated from the group stages of the 2022 World Cup. “I say goodbye to the national team, and c It’s a day full of emotion for me as you can imagine,” said the Spaniard at a press conference. “It’s time for me to accept that this is my last game as Belgium coach.”
He took charge of the Red Devils in 2016, after the traumatic elimination in the quarter-finals of the Euro against Wales. And led them in particular to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. Under his leadership, Belgium was for more than three years at the top of the ranking established by Fifa.
Decision before the tournament
Martinez, 49, clarified that this elimination was not the cause of this departure, adding that he had decided it just before the tournament. “Even if we had won this World Cup, I would have left my position at the end of the tournament,” he said.
After a narrow victory against Canada (1-0), Belgium continued with a defeat against Morocco (2-0) and a draw against Croatia (0-0). “Everything I was able to do with the national team makes me very proud. It’s a team that has given a lot of people a lot of happiness and the real fans in Belgium appreciate it,” he said. said.
A disappointing Belgium
Beyond elimination, Belgium, so enthusiastic in the game in 2018, disappointed a lot during this World Cup, in particular their stars, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, who entered at the end of the match during the final meeting, all appeared powerless. Only goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois delivered performances more in line with his reputation.
The Belgian press also echoed strong dissension within the locker room.
Lamenting a “fear of losing” among his players, Roberto Martinez regretted that his team did not have the opportunity to show their true face: “I believe that we would have progressed and that from 1/8 you could have seen the real Belgian team.”