Fernando Santos goes from teaching Cristiano Ronaldo to a different soccer nice, Robert Lewandowski.
A month after being sidelined by his native Portugal, Santos was unveiled in Warsaw on Tuesday as coach of the Polish nationwide group.
The 68-year-old Santos turns into the third foreign-born Polish coach after Leo Beenhacker and Paulo Sousa and comes with the expertise of main high-profile gamers corresponding to Ronaldo, whom Santos benched through the World Cup knockout stage final month . ,
Santos will now coach a group captained by Barcelona striker Lewandowski, who on the age of 34 is nearing the top of his profession with solely the European Championships in 2024 and probably the 2026 World Cup to play internationally. be saved for
Santos has been tasked with enhancing Poland’s dominant document in current main tournaments.
Since 1986, the nationwide group has progressed past the group stage in just one World Cup (2022) and one European Championship (2016).
Known as a sensible, defensive-minded coach, Santos has a stable worldwide pedigree. In eight years with Portugal, he led the group to the Euro 2016 title – the nation’s first worldwide trophy – and the inaugural Nations League title in 2019. He additionally coached Greece at Euro 2012, the place it reached the quarter-finals, and certified for the 2014 World Cup.
Poland didn’t lengthen the contract of Santos’ predecessor Czeslaw Michniewicz after reaching the knockout levels of the World Cup for the primary time in 36 years. Michniewicz’s contract expired on 31 December.
Former Portugal and South Korea coach Paulo Bento and Liverpool nice Steven Gerrard, who have been lately sacked by Aston Villa within the Premier League, mentioned the Polish soccer federation would recruit a overseas coach.
Santos’ extra expertise would have made a distinction. On Monday, when it grew to become clear that Santos can be employed, Polish sports activities minister Kamil Bortniczuk congratulated the soccer affiliation on its choice on Twitter and referred to as Santos a candidate with “experience of working with great stars” like Ronaldo. Very profitable coach.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
