Fernando Santos Has Officially Stepped Down From The Portugal National Team, Open Door For Jose Mourinho?

Fernando Santos has officially left the Portugal national team. (Photo: Twitter/@selecaoportugal)

JAKARTA - The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has officially separated from Fernando Santos. The two sides agreed to end the cooperation after the failure of the Portugal national team at the 2022 World Cup.

Portugal were surprisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing 0-1 to Morocco. Santos was also flooded with criticism for not fielding Cristiano Ronaldo from the start in that match.

In a statement, the FPF said that both sides agreed to terminate the contract because it would be the right moment to start a new cycle.

Santos became Portugal coach in 2014 and led his team in 109 matches. With Santos, Portugal won the 2016 European Cup (Euro) and the inaugural UEFA Nations League trophy in 2018-19.

"In addition to the title won, Fernando Santos became the coach with the most matches and wins," the FPF said, as quoted by Antara via AFP, Friday, December 16.

"It is an honor to have a coach and someone like Fernando Santos as coach of the national team," they continued in a statement.

Um 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗼 histórico. 🏆🏆 Obrigado por tudo, Mister. 🇵🇹 #VesteABandeiraA historical 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆. 🏆🏆 Thank you for everything, Coach. 🇵🇹 #WearTheFlag pic.twitter.com/7emUN6LbZB

— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) December 15, 2022

The FPF said its board would now begin a new coaching process. Various Portuguese media have reported that names have surfaced.

One of them is AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho. Rumors circulated that Mourinho's presence could make Cristiano Ronaldo last longer with Seleccao de Quinas.

Apart from Mourinho, there are also other candidates such as national team U-21 coach Rui Jorge and Lille coach Paulo Fonseca.

Meanwhile, in an emotional video message, Santos said, becoming Portugal's coach was a dream come true and a goal in life that he managed to fulfill.

"When you lead a group, you have to make some difficult decisions. It's normal that not everyone is happy with the choices I make, but the decisions I make are always thinking about what is best for our team," he said sarcastically about his decision on the 2022 World Cup.