Portugal are in need of a new manager after they parted ways with Paulo Bento. The manager offered up his resignation and the federation accepted it, leaving the team without a leader for the time being.
Paulo Bento out as Portugal manager
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The federation confirmed Bento’s departure and said that a replacement would be announced soon.
Bento was under fire from the moment he was hired four years ago, being one of the more inexperienced coaches among the world’s top teams. He led the team to the semifinals at Euro 2012, helping take some heat off of him, but a disappointing group stage exit at the World Cup had him back in fans’ crosshairs. Then, on Tuesday, came a 1-0 qualifying loss to Albania. The fans booed, jeered and waved white handkerchiefs, and it looked like Bento’s time was over then.
Portugal have been a team built around Cristiano Ronaldo, and for good reason. He is brilliant, but the team has been overly reliant on him of late, and it showed at the World Cup. With Ronaldo not fully fit, he was good, but not mesmerizing, and the rest of the team couldn’t provide him the necessary help. Then he missed this week’s qualifier because of fitness concerns, and while Portugal were still far more talented than Albania, they were abysmal and slumped to a loss.
The loss ended Bento’s spell with Portugal. He was willing to give up the post and Portugal were happy to move on. Now, they are charged with finding a replacement that can give the country a chance at lifting a trophy before the 29-year-old Ronaldo is no longer the dominant player he is now.
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