Izuchukwu OkosiThe Portuguese Football Federation has relieved head coach Fernando Santos of his duties in the national team.
The coach took the team to the Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign but will be bidding goodbye to the job following the team’s ouster.
Portugal was defeated by African representatives, Morocco, in the quarterfinals.
Ever since Portugal was knocked out at the quarter-finals stage by Morocco on Saturday, rumours have been rampant that Santos would leave his post, despite having his contract running until 2024.
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The Portuguese Football Federation made the following announcement on Thursday:
”The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and Fernando Santos have agreed to terminate the hugely successful journey that began in September 2014.
”After one of the best performances in Portugal’s World Cup history in Qatar, the FPF and Fernando Santos agreed that this is the right time to start a new cycle.
”With Fernando Santos at the helm of the national team, our country won two international competitions for the first time: the unforgettable Euro 2016 in France, and the Nations League, in 2019.
”As well as the trophies won, Fernando Santos became the Portugal coach with the most games played and the most victories. It was an honour to have a coach and a person like Fernando Santos leading the national team.
”The FPF thanks Fernando Santos and his coaching staff for their work over eight unparalleled years and believes that this gratitude is shared by the Portuguese people. The FPF Management will now start the process of choosing the next national team manager.”
The coach led the team to a 2016 European triumph at the UEFA Championship and won the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
It remains unclear if the Federation would employ a new coach before the start of the 2024 European Championship qualifiers or a temporary coach will be in charge.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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