Fernando Santos give up as coach of Portugal on Thursday following the group’s shock World Cup quarter-final loss to Morocco with vibrant and controversial Jose Mourinho named as a number one candidate to take over.
The Portuguese soccer federation (FPF) mentioned in a press release that an settlement was reached with the 68-year-old Santos “to finish the journey of nice success that started in September 2014”.
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The FPF added that it “will now launch the method to decide on the subsequent nationwide coach”.
Daily sports activities newspaper Record claims that Mourinho is the federation’s primary goal to take over forward of qualifying for Euro 2024.
They would even reportedly entertain a deal which might see Mourinho take cost of the nationwide group on an interim foundation to permit him to see out the season with membership facet Roma in Italy.
Asked concerning the nationwide group job by journalists late Thursday afternoon when he arrived in southern Portugal for a coaching camp with Roma, Mourinho made no remark.
Qualifying for Euro 2024 will get underway in March.
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Portuguese coaches Rui Jorge (under-21s), Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras), Paulo Fonseca (Lille), Rui Vitoria (Egypt) and Jorge Jesus (Fenerbahce) are additionally among the many potential candidates cited by native media.
Mourinho, 59, has but to educate at worldwide degree however has a formidable document at a few of Europe’s heavyweight golf equipment.
He has managed Porto, Chelsea twice, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Mourinho gained three Premier League titles with Chelsea, two Serie A crowns at Inter and a Liga triumph at Real.
He additionally coached Porto to 2004 Champions League victory and repeated the feat with Inter Milan in 2010.
In May this 12 months, he led Roma to the Europa Conference League title, the membership’s first ever main European trophy.
That was his fifth European title and made him the primary coach to win all present UEFA competitions.
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Mourinho’s contract at Roma runs till 2024. The group are at present seventh in Serie A, 14 factors behind leaders Napoli.
Santos had been adamant that he wouldn’t be pressured out of the Portuguese job he has held for eight years regardless of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to the history-making Moroccans in Qatar.
He accepted, nonetheless, that not everybody agreed together with his selections in the course of the World Cup which included dropping Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench within the later matches.
“I’m leaving with the sensation of huge gratitude,” he mentioned in a video posted on the federation’s web site.
“When you lead a gaggle, you must make some troublesome selections. It’s regular that not everyone seems to be proud of the alternatives I made.”
Appointed coach of Portugal in September 2014, Santos gained the nation’s first main title at Euro 2016 and adopted it up with the 2019 Nations League.
However, his time in cost additionally noticed final 16 exits on the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.
