A World Cup manager’s job could be at risk if they don’t live up to their country’s expectations. Every national team led by a manager carries the hopes of every football fan in their country.
World cups can be a brutal football competition for managers and coaches as every player wants to make his countrymen proud. The World Cup 2022 is no exception.
There have already been many surprises in this year’s event. As a result, there have already been a few managerial casualties.
Here are the managers who have either resigned or were let go from their positions:
Mexico: Gerardo Martino
Following Mexico’s catastrophic group-stage exit, the Argentine coach, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who had previously led Argentina and Barcelona, resigned. El Tri and Poland played to a scoreless tie in their opening match. Argentina was the next opponent, and El Tri lost 2-0. Although Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their final match, they could not advance to the round of 16. They did, however, score a goal.
The previous time Mexico entered the competition but could not advance past the group round was in 1976.
“As the guy in charge, it causes a lot of sadness; I totally bear responsibility for this huge failure,” Martino remarked following the game. Following his MLS Cup victory with Atlanta United, Martino has been the manager of Mexico since January 2019.
“My contract ended as soon as the referee blew the final whistle, and there is nothing more to be done.” ~ Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
Belgium: Roberto Martinez
After Belgium, who entered the tournament ranked second in the world, lost in the group stages, the former Everton manager resigned from his position as manager.
The Spaniard later insisted that it was not a reaction to the defeat, saying, “The decision was taken just before the World Cup. I always work toward the long-term projects and they need to be set in advance.”
The Red Devils finished third at the 2018 World Cup and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Euro 2020 tournament after Martinez took over as coach of the national team in 2016.
However, Belgium has since performed poorly, losing to Italy in the 2020 Euro. In the current World Cup, Belgium’s group-stage elimination after losing was the ultimate humiliation.
Visit Foottheball for more information about the managers who left their positions following the team’s departure from Qatar in 2022.
Ghana: Otto Adda
When they arrived at the World Cup, Ghana was among the better young teams. The Black Stars were placed in Group H along with Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea after winning their World Cup qualification. While the Africans may not have been favourites to qualify for the next round, they still had an impressive squad which boasted talented stars such as Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus.
The Africans were on three points after two matches. Despite that, they still had a chance to qualify, and their final game was against Uruguay, a team to which they lost in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in one of the most controversial moments in sports.
Ghana was awarded a penalty in the first minutes, but Andre Ayew missed it, much like Asamoah Gyan did in 2010. The loss proved their undoing as the South Americans won the game with two goals. Otto Addo, the manager who had only recently been hired and had been waiting for the World Cup, has quit.
South Korea: Paulo Bento
Following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, South Korea’s manager was named Paulo Bento. With just one defeat during the qualifying stage, the Portuguese have done an outstanding job of assisting South Korea in reaching the World Cup.
They were placed in a difficult group at the World Cup alongside Uruguay, Ghana, and Portugal. South Korea would not, according to the numbers, be able to advance to the round of 16. Bento, however, had turned his team into a well-drilled team that was challenging to defeat. After two games, the Koreans had one point, but an unexpected victory over Portugal propelled them into the next round.
When they played Brazil, who defeated them 4-1, their luck finally ran out, and Paulo Bento resigned from his position because his contract ended.
Spain: Luis Enrique
The game between Spain and Morocco produced the only unexpected result out of the eight matches in the round of 16. The Moroccans performed admirably, holding off Spain for 120 minutes before goalie Yassine Bounou made two saves in the penalty shootout. Spain lost in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 for the second time in a row.
Spain’s lacklustre performance drew criticism. The result was all the more unexpected given that Spain had defeated Costa Rica 7-0 to kick off their campaign. After the opening match, Spain drew with Germany and then fell to Japan before being eliminated by Morocco.
La Furia Roja’s inability to convert numerous clear-cut chances showed they lacked elite strikers. Additionally, it has been criticized because Enrique left veterans like Thiago and Sergio Ramos off the roster. Luis Enrique eventually resigned from his position on November 8 after four years as the national team’s head coach, as a result of the rumours that he would do so.