Following the conclusion of his time as Portugal’s head coach, Fernando Santos has been named Poland’s head coach till the year 2026.
Santos, 68, oversaw the Selecao for more than eight years, leading them to triumphs at Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League debut.
Despite those victories, Santos’ squad had alienated Portugal’s supporters with its recent brand of football, which they felt underwhelmed considering the depth of quality at his disposal.
Santos was relieved of his duties following Portugal’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to Morocco last month, even though his contract with Portugal wasn’t set to end until after Euro 2024. Since then, Roberto Martinez has taken his position.
Santos, who previously coached Greece for four years before taking over Portugal, hasn’t wasted any time in accepting a new position either. He now holds his third international position in a row with Poland.
After his fellow Portuguese national Paulo Sousa, who served as head coach for a brief period in 2021, and Leo Beenhakker, he will be just the third non-native head coach in Poland’s history.
Cezary Kulesza, the president of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), shared a photo of himself with Santos on Monday, effectively confirming the hire and organising a press conference for the following day.
Santos’ first objective will be to ensure Poland’s qualifying for a fourth straight appearance at the European Championship, which will be held in Germany in 2024.
After then, he will be responsible for guiding Poland to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
