After three years contrasting years at Everton, Roberto Martinez was finally asked to clear his desk last summer, replaced by Ronald Koeman for the current season.
Finishing fifth in his first season in charge at Goodison Park with a record points tally, the Spanish manager then oversaw two rather disappointing campaigns, with the Toffees finishing in the second half of the table both times.
It didn’t take long for the former Everton man to find a new job, however, as Belgium’s FA offered him the job to take over their national team following Marc Wilmots’ departure once the 2016 Euros had come to an end.
Asked if he felt he needed to prove people wrong following his sacking, he said: “No, you know. After my first season with Everton, I had clubs in for me, but I stayed because I’m someone who believes in long-term projects, and because I cannot operate just anywhere: I need to feel confident.
“I don’t need to prove anything to anybody. The only people I have to prove something to are my family and myself. Look, the fate of a coach is simple: if you win, you’re the best in the world. You lose, you are the worst. That’s something I must resign myself to”.
Even if he isn’t actively trying to prove people wrong, it seems Martinez is still showing the world what he is capable of, albeit with a huge amount of talent at his disposal.
With a contract taking him just beyond the 2018 World Cup, it’s clear the Belgian FA are waiting to see what results he can produce in the competition before making a long-term commitment regarding their manager’s future.
Our guess, however, is, as things stand, they’re probably rather pleased with their decision.
