Fernando Santos is about to be sacked as Portugal coach and Paulo Fonseca is in competition to take over, GOAL can reveal.
- Santos below hearth after World Cup quarter-final exit
- Fonseca within the working to interchange him
- Former Roma coach has robust ties with FPF
WHAT’S HAPPENING? Santos finds himself below intense strain after the Seleccao’s shock 2022 World Cup quarter-final loss to Morocco and the Portuguese Soccer Federation (FPF) is predicted to imminently deliver an finish to his eight-year tenure.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Santos made the colossal and controversial name to drop Cristiano Ronaldo for the last-16 conflict with Switzerland however that daring determination was vindicated in gorgeous style, because the captain’s substitute up entrance, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout. Nonetheless, Ronaldo’s relegation to the bench was referred to as into query after Portugal have been upset by Morocco within the final eight.
AND WHAT’S MORE: The Seleccao are usually not in need of prime contenders to interchange Santos ought to he be sacked. Certainly, Jose Mourinho has already been linked with the function. Nonetheless, GOAL can affirm that Lille coach Fonseca could be a robust contender.
STORY IN THREE PHOTOS:
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THE VERDICT: That Santos is on the verge of the sack is unsurprising. He could have gotten the Ronaldo name appropriate however a quarter-final exit by the hands of Morocco was by no means going to go over nicely with the FPF, given Santos’ techniques had been below scrutiny for a while now anyway. Whereas he led Portugal to a shock triumph at Euro 2016, he had been accused of failing to get essentially the most out of an outrageously proficient group of gamers due to his conservative techniques – which explains why Fonseca might change him on the helm. The Lille coach is famend for his enticing model of soccer and, crucially, already has shut ties with the Portuguese federation. Certainly, Fonseca and his spouse Katerina are ambassadors of an FPF undertaking supporting the internet hosting, integration and employment of Ukrainian refugees, which was began earlier this yr following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
WHAT NEXT FOR SANTOS, RONALDO AND FONSECA? Santos’ future is predicted to be determined quickly however Ronaldo has not but confirmed if he’ll proceed enjoying worldwide soccer, stating solely that his “dedication to Portugal hasn’t modified”. The place of the coach is about to play a giant function in what the striker does subsequent. As for Fonseca, he solely took over as Lille coach throughout the summer time and is below contract till 2024 however might nicely be tempted to tackle the highest job in Portuguese soccer ought to it develop into out there.
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