Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed that he is no longer in charge of the Red Devils following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Belgians, who have won the bronze medal at the World Cup 2018, failed to advance past the group stage, finishing with only four points from three games.
A narrow victory over Canada in their tournament opener had all the warning signs. After the devastating 2-0 loss to Morocco, those trademarks became even more prominent.
Belgium’s qualification fate was still in their hands, as a win over Croatia would have propelled Martinez’s team to the tournament’s last 16. The tactician fielded an experimental lineup for the game, and they were held scoreless.
Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard came on as substitutes. During his cameo appearance, the Inter Milan striker squandered a few golden opportunities. Morocco’s 2-1 victory over Canada ensured the Red Devils’ place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
After the game, Martinez told the media that this was his final act as manager of the Belgian national team.
“That was my last game with the national team, I can’t carry on, It’s the time for me to accept that this is the last game,”
the Spaniard said.
The Red Devils arrived in Qatar ranked second in FIFA, but a shock defeat to Morocco and a goalless draw with Croatia saw them eliminated in the group stages for the first time since 1998, despite scoring only one goal.
That defeat to Morocco, which remains one of the World Cup’s biggest surprises, was exacerbated by riots in Brussels and Antwerp, which forced police to close off parts of the cities.
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Martinez failed to win a major competition with the team despite being in charge for six years. Former Everton boss Martinez took over as manager of the side in 2016 and was in command for 2311 days. Under his direction, they won an impressive 56 games, drew 13, and lost 10.
