Roberto Martinez confirms exit from Belgium national team
By Tom Gott
Roberto Martinez has confirmed he will leave his post as Belgium manager following the Red Devils' shock exit from the World Cup.
Belgium arrived in Qatar second on FIFA's world rankings but crashed out in the group stages behind Morocco and Croatia, with a 0-0 draw against the latter on Thursday sealing their fate.
After the game, Martinez had been coy on his future, telling reporters "now is not the moment" to discuss his future, only to confirm his departure minutes later.
"That was my last game with the national team and it was emotional as you can imagine," he said.
The exit from the World Cup appears to signal an end to Belgium's so-called Golden Generation, with the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku in the twilights of their careers.
However, while they may not be together on the pitch for much longer, Martinez insisted the Golden Generation were still having an impact away from the field.
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“You see players like Youri Tielemans, you’ve got players like Jeremy Doku,” he said.
“The golden generation is doing something that is bringing the next generation on. It’s not only what they’re doing on the pitch. The legacy can be left in many ways.
“Today we are out of a good tournament and now the standards need to carry on rising.”