LISBON: Roberto Mart­inez was named as the new coach of Portugal on Monday, having stepped down as Belgium coach after their elimination from the World Cup in Qatar in the group stage.

The 49-year-old Spaniard takes over from Fernando Santos and the most pressing issue in his in-tray will be to clarify the situation of skipper Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just signed for Saudi club Al Nassr.

“My point of departure will be the squad of 26 players who played in the World Cup, and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them,” Martinez told a press conference.

Martinez added that he would make his decisions “on the pitch and not in an office”.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2023