Roberto Martinez has announced that he has left his position as the head coach of the Belgium National team after the Red Devils were eliminated from the FIFA World Cup following a stalemate game against Croatia. Martinez, 49, succeeded Marc Wilmots as coach in 2016. He led Belgium to a third-place finish in the 2018 World Cup.
“My situation is very clear. This is the end for me,” Martinez said afterward, explaining his contract had expired with the end of World Cup play for Belgium. “Whatever the result of this tournament, I decided on the World Cup. It’s all about the long term. Since 2018, I could have taken many jobs. I won’t resign, it’s just ending like this.”
Martinez, 49, succeeded Marc Wilmots as coach in 2016. He led Belgium to a third-place finish in the 2018 World Cup.
“We are extremely disappointed after the early exit of our national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar because we have failed and thereby let down the people of Belgium who supported our team all the way through,” the Royal Belgian FA (RBFA) said in a statement. “We thank Roberto Martinez for everything he achieved with this Golden Generation, as a coach as well as a technical director”.
Belgium, who is ranked 2nd place behind Brazil in the recent FIFA ranking, earned 4 points unlike Morocco who topped the group with 7 points, and Croatia who had 5 points.
