Manager sacked after losing power struggle with Cristiano Ronaldo fired again just nine months into new job
FERNANDO SANTOS has been sacked from his role as Poland manager.
That’s just nine months after he was axed by Portugal following a power struggle with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Santos, 68, led the Portuguese to Euro 2016 and Nations League 2019 glory during an epic 109-game reign.
However, the wheels fell off during last year’s winter World Cup in Qatar.
It began when Portugal lost their final group game to South Korea, with Ronaldo appearing to SWEAR at Santos while being subbed off.
The Al-Nassr striker, who had only just left Manchester United in stunning fashion, was then left out of Portugal’s 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland in the last-16.
Santos also kept Ronaldo out of the quarter-final clash against Morocco.
But his decision backfired as Portugal were dumped out of the competition.
And FA chiefs decided to support Ronaldo in the power struggle, with Santos swiftly being shown the door after an eight-year spell.
The veteran tactician was not out of work for long though.
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Poland came calling at the start of the year after sacking Czeslaw Michniewicz following their World Cup last-16 exit to France.
However, things did not go to plan for Santos.
Poland were defeated in three of his five Euro qualifiers.
Santos’ brief spell ended following a 2-0 defeat in Albania.
The result leaves the Poles second-bottom of Group E and four points from top.
A Polish FA statement said: “The Polish Football Association informs that as of September 13, 2023, coach Fernando Santos ceased to be the coach of the Polish national team.”
The head of the FA Cezary Kulesza said: “I would like to thank coach Santos for his work with the national team and I wish him good luck in his next challenges.
“Even though we are ending our cooperation, I am grateful to have led the Polish national team and I wish all the best to Poland and its people, who welcomed me so well when I lived here, said Fernando Santos.”