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03rd Aug 2016

Roberto Martinez is the new manager of Belgium and everybody is confused

Massive job

Matt Tate

Absolutely nobody could have seen that one coming.

Just a few months after being sacked by Everton, Roberto Martinez has been appointed as the new head coach of the Belgium national team.

The 43-year-old Spaniard spent three years at Goodison Park, but was relieved of his duties in May after successive bottom-half finishes for the Toffees.

The former Swansea and Wigan Athletic manager will inherit one of the most talented squads in world football, but it’s a squad that has consistently underachieved on the big stage.

Marc Wilmots was given his marching orders after the Red Devils were beaten convincingly by Chris Coleman’s Wales in the Euro 2016 quarter-final, signalling another trophyless tournament for the so-called “Golden Generation”.

There’s no denying that Martinez has had some highs in Premier League management: he won the FA Cup with Wigan and at times his teams have all produced exciting, attacking football.

But it’s his defensive organisation that has come in for consistent criticism, and by the end of his Everton reign the fans had turned against him.

With Belgium Martinez could manage a number of his former charges, including Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku and the currently uninvolved Kevin Mirallas. In Eden Hazard he also has one of the best attacking players in the game.

It’s fair to say that the news has left a lot of people on social media scratching their heads.