Daily Times

LISBON: Portugal named former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez as their new manager on Monday and the Spaniard said he would sit down with Cristiano Ronaldo to talk about his future in the team. Martinez, 49, replaces Fernando Santos, who left his job after Portugal suffered a shock defeat by Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals. “I appreciate the enthusiasm and ambition with which he (Martinez) received the invitation,” Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) President Fernando Gomes told a news conference as Martinez stood next to him. “This is an important moment for the national team,” he said. Martinez stepped down as Belgium coach following their World Cup group stage exit, saying he had made the decision to end his six-year tenure some time ago and would have left even if they had been crowned champions. It ended a long spell in charge of the side in which he took them to number one in the world rankings and third place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Questioned about the future of Ronaldo in the national team, Martinez said that he would contact the 37-year-old, who last month joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a 2-1/2 year deal.