Fernando Santos is no longer manager of the Portuguese national team, having mutually agreed with the Portuguese Football Federation to leave the position.
Having been disappointedly knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco at the quarter final stage, it has been deemed that a change of management is needed at the head of Portuguese football.
Santos had held the position since 2014, and famously led Portugal to European Championship glory in 2016, defeating France 1-0 after extra time in the final.
Speaking of his departure, Santos was thankful for the opportunity to manage his nation.
“I leave with an enormous sense of gratitude. It was a huge privilege to have been national coach and it was an honour to represent our country. It was a dream I realised and a life goal I fulfilled.”
In recent weeks, Santos had been under increased pressure due to his handling of captain Cristiano Ronaldo. The ex-Real Madrid man was dropped by Santos for the side’s 5-1 victory over Switzerland in the last 16, in which his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hattrick.
Ronaldo didn’t start against Morocco either, a decision which was criticised in the aftermath of the match by Luis Figo. On the topic, Santos explained that tough decisions had to be made during the tournament.
“When you manage groups you have to make some difficult decisions. It is normal that not everyone is happy with the decisions I made.”
