After guiding Portugal to Euro 2024 with a perfect 10 wins from 10 in qualifying, he secured opening wins against the Czech Republic and Turkey to book a spot in the last 16 with a game to spare.
But a 2-0 loss to Georgia last week brought Martinez back down to earth with a bump, and he goes into tonight's clash with Slovenia under pressure.
Having coached Belgium's golden generation for six years, Martinez knows all about having the weight of a nation on his shoulders.
But, after failing to get Belgium over the line at major tournaments, the big question is whether things can be different for him with Portugal?
This story is from the July 01, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the July 01, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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