The head coach of the national football team, Fernando Santos, has been dismissed by the Portuguese Football Federation.
Portugal was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar after losing to Morocco.
Santos was in the limelight after benching captain Cristiano Ronaldo in the last two games. Despite winning against Switzerland, he was heavily criticized after losing against Morocco.
Santos, 68, managed the Portugal national team for eight years. In 2016, he made Portugal the Euro champion.
However, keeping Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench in his last match was the main reason for his departure from the coach.
However, Santos, speaking after the match, said that the decision not to play Ronaldo was not wrong and that he would not resign. Santos, who is under contract until the European Championship in 2024, said that there is no need to resign.
The Portuguese Football Federation has thanked him for managing the team for 8 years.
“The FPF would like to thank Fernando Santos and his technical team for the services provided over eight unique years and would like to assure you that this thanks is on behalf of the Portuguese people,” the Portuguese Football Federation said.
The Portuguese Football Association will soon begin the process of selecting the next national coach.
