Tedesco appointed new Belgium head coach after Martinez departure

Domenico Tedesco has been named the new Belgium head coach after Roberto Martinez left his role following the Red Devils’ shock group-stage exit in Qatar.

Belgium crashed out of the World Cup after winning just one of their three Group F matches, failing to match their excellent third-placed finish at the 2018 edition in Russia.

Having led Belgium to first in FIFA’s world rankings between 2018 and 2021, Martinez left his post after the tournament in Qatar and has since taken charge of Portugal’s national team.

Tedesco, who was sacked by RB Leipzig in September after a poor start to the campaign, will be Martinez’s successor after signing a contract to lead Belgium until after the 2024 European Championships.

Domenico Tedesco is the new head coach of our Devils. Good luck, coach! #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/KeHHPbVpB3

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) February 8, 2023

While with Leipzig, Tedesco delivered the club’s first DFB-Pokal in its history and took them to the Europa League semi-finals before they were ultimately beaten by Rangers.

“For me, it is a great honour to be the new head coach of Belgium,” Tedesco told reporters following his appointment. “I’m really looking forward to the task and I’m extremely motivated.

“I had a very good feeling right from the first conversation.”

Tedesco will be tasked with making sure his new team reaches the European Championships in Germany next year, with the first qualifier set to be played away at Sweden on March 24.