[Saba Sports News] In the World Cup Round of 16, Portugal suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 last-minute defeat at the hands of Spain and exited the tournament at the last 16 stage. In a post-match interview, Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez confirmed that his contract had expired and he would step down as manager of the Portuguese national team. Martínez stated: “I came to Portugal with the goal of winning the World Cup, and I believe there is no point in carrying on if we fail to achieve that. The board and the president now have the opportunity to appoint a new national team head coach. The president has supported me throughout my tenure, but my contract expires today. There is not much more to add. However, I have two things to say. First, I want to thank the Portuguese people. This has been an incredible chapter, filled with a sense of pride I cannot put into words. I am grateful for the strength and passion shown by the fans and the entire nation, and I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life.”
The editor believes that numerous unvarnished negative rumors surrounding Roberto Martínez surfaced shortly after the final whistle. Sources claim the Portuguese players never truly bought into him. To put it bluntly, many accuse him of leveraging his connection with Cristiano Ronaldo to land a head coaching job in Saudi Arabia.