After nearly a week of speculation, Santos was officially sacked on Thursday following their quarter-final defeat to dark horses Morocco.
It was an embarrassing end to such a promising campaign for Portugal after they defeated Uruguay and Ghana in their group and thrashed Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16.
Santos had been in charge of the national team for eight years and had guided them to victory at Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League, the first major honours in Portugal’s history.
The 68-year-old was contracted to lead the team again to Euro 2024 but following today’s news the PFF are on the hunt for his replacement.
Lille boss Paulo Fonseca has been touted as a potential candidate, but according to reports in Italy, none other than Jose Mourinho could take charge of his country.
The most successful Portuguese manager of all-time, Mourinho has managed some of the world’s biggest clubs including Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham and currently Roma.
His trophy cabinet includes eight league titles and two Champions Leagues, but he has never managed at international level.
Though he appears committed to his job at Roma, reports suggest that he could take on dual roles that would allow him to manage both his club and country.
Portugal team are set for somewhat of a transitional period, with Cristiano Ronaldo likely to retire from international duty soon, after leaving the 2022 World Cup in tears.
Qualifying for Euro 2024, set to be held in Germany, kicks-off in March, with Portugal set to face Liechtenstein and Luxembourg in their first two games.
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