Fernando Santos Named New Portugal Manager: Latest Details, Comment and More

Updates from Wednesday, Sept. 24

Jan Hagen passed along an image of Fernando Santos being introduced as Portugal's manager:

Original Text

Portugal have officially named Fernando Santos as the new manager of their national side.

The former Greece boss will take over for Paulo Bento, who stepped down earlier this month following a disastrous World Cup and an awful start to the Seleccao’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

The news was confirmed in a statement on the Portuguese Football Federation’s official website (in Portuguese). It was later highlighted by the Mail Online:

Santos takes the job after overseeing four years with the Greek national team, and he will be looking to rebuild a footballing nation that is currently on its knees.

Despite possessing the world’s best player in Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal were abject in the group stages of the World Cup in Brazil, and they crashed out at the first hurdle. Bento was afforded the chance to rebuild some spirit among the current Portuguese crop, but he stepped down after a humiliating loss at home to Albania in their opening qualifier for the European Championships.

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Santos is a manager that could add some much-needed steel and cohesion to this Seleccao side, but it looks as though he won't be able to do so during matches. The 59-year-old was levied with an eight-game ban following Greece’s last-16 exit against Costa Rica in the World Cup for “several acts of unsporting conduct towards the match officials,” per Sky Sports.

Andy Brassell thinks Santos could yet get the ban overturned, though:

While the former Greece boss should steady this Portugal side at the back, Simon Curtis thinks his appointment is a backward step:

This role is a potentially wonderful opportunity for Santos after a career that has seen him manage in Portugal for long spells. Having been in charge of both Porto and Benfica, he is a man that has been immersed in the culture of the game in the nation, and subsequently, he should possess a flavour of the requisite demands of the supporters.

In Ronaldo, he also has a stunning player to build this team around. But after plenty of this current generation have faltered on the biggest stage for their country, Santos will be tasked with blooding some youngsters into the setup, too.

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If the eight-game ban does not get overturned, his appointment by the Seleccao big wigs will look a peculiar one. This team is in desperate need of a figure to point them in the right direction, but if Santos cannot do that on the touchline during games, it’s difficult to see just how much of an influence he can have on what looks to be a perpetually disillusioned crop of players.