The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced on Thursday its decision to part ways with manager Fernando Santos. The decision to dismiss Santos comes after Portugal’s shock quarterfinal exit against Morocco in a 1-0 loss.
Santos took charge of Portugal’s national team in 2014 after leading Greece to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in the nation’s history. The 68-year-old manager would soon lead the nation to success, as Portugal went on to win Euro 2016 under Santos’s leadership before lifting the inaugural UEFA Nations League title in 2019.
While Santos’s contract was set to run until Euro 2024, the FPF decided that the shock 1-0 loss to Morocco signaled the end of an era.
“After one of the best participations ever by the National Team in the final stages of the World Cup, in Qatar, FPF and Fernando Santos understand that this is the right time to start a new cycle,” a statement from the FPF read. “The FPF Board will now begin the process of choosing the next national coach.”
Although a largely successful managerial tenure, Santos’s time as Portugal’s manager ended in controversy following his decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the team’s shock World Cup exit.
