5 high-profile managers who lost their jobs during the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has reached its closing stages. The tournament in Qatar has been declared by many as the most thrilling edition of the FIFA World Cup in recent history. Plenty of upsets have been recorded, and many teams have faced shock elimination, right from the group stage.
With only six teams left in the tournament, it looks set to reach a thrilling climax over the next week or so. In the meantime, we will focus on teams that have been eliminated from the tournament and some of their managers who have either stepped down or been fired.
Without further ado, here are five managers who lost their jobs during the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to their teams' performance.
#5 Otto Addo | Ghana
Former Ghana manager Otto Addo announced his decision to step down from his role as manager of the Black Stars following their group stage elimination. A former Black Stars player himself, Addo did not fare well in Qatar as his side won only one of their three group-stage games.
Addo, who played for Ghana at the 2006 World Cup, was made their head coach in February 2022 after a stint as an assistant manager. He was appointed after his country's shambolic performance at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
The former player immediately led them to the FIFA World Cup group stages following an away goals win over Nigeria in the qualifiers.
His team's 3-2 win over South Korea made him the first manager from Ghana to win a World Cup match. Addo left his job with the Black Stars with a record of four wins, three draws and five defeats in 12 matches.
He has since returned to his role as a talent coach for Borussia Dortmund.
#4 Gérardo Martino | Mexico
The experienced Gerardo 'Tata' Martino resigned from his position as Mexico's head coach following his failure to guide them to the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The veteran manager revealed his plans to leave the role immediately after his side's elimination following their last group-stage game.
Martino is one of the most respected managers in international football due to his experience. He was appointed manager of El Tri in 2019 and led them to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title that year.
His side, however, failed to win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup in 2021. His resignation came after Mexico's worst performance in a World Cup finals in 44 years as they won just once in three matches. They were eliminated from the ongoing World Cup's group stages (on goals scored) for the first time since 1978.
Martino was in charge of El Tri for three years and was in charge for 66 matches. The former Barcelona manager won 42, drew 12 and lost 12 of his matches in charge of the side.
#3 Roberto Martinez | Belgium
After six years in charge of Belgium, Roberto Martinez stepped down during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This came after his side's failure to make it out of their group for the first time in any major tournament in the 21st century.
Martinez was charged with leading Belgium's golden generation after UEFA Euro 2016 and helped elevate the Red Devils to great heights. They were the No. 1 ranked team in the world for four years and finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Roberto Martinez has announced that he will step down as Belgium's national team manager. https://t.co/QHqIuaPYUH
Belgium managed to score only one goal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and finished with a solitary win from three games in their group. Their performances in the tournament seemingly marked the end of their golden generation.
Martinez was in charge of Belgium for 80 games and won 56 of them, recording a 70% win ratio.
#2 Tite | Brazil
Brazil head coach Tite resigned from his position after his side fell in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The experienced tactician saw his side crash out at the hands of a less-fancied Croatian side in Qatar.
Tite was appointed in 2016 as a replacement for Dunga, who was sacked following the Selecao's poor performance at the Copa America Centenario. The former Corinthians manager led Brazil to the Copa America title in 2019 and a runners-up finish in the 2021 edition of the continental competition.
#WorldCup2022
Tite leaves Brazil. He’s no longer the head coach of the Seleçao after the game lost vs Croatia. It’s over. 🚨🇧🇷 #WorldCup2022 https://t.co/9UQW63Gfy6
Tite led Brazil to a quarterfinal exit in the 2018 edition of the World Cup before losing in the last-eight again in Qatar. He had hinted before the tournament that he planned to leave the job no matter how the tournament ended for the team.
Overall, Tite was in charge of the Selecao for 81 matches, winning 60 of them and losing only six times.
#1 Luis Enrique | Spain
Luis Enrique stepped down from his role as Spain head coach after his side's underwhelming performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
La Roja struggled to penetrate opposition defenses in the group stages after winning their opening game against Costa Rica 7-0. Enrique eventually saw his side lose out in the Round of 16 against Morocco on penalties.
The former Barcelona boss was appointed as Spain's manager in 2018, taking over from former teammate Fernando Hierro. He took a four-month break from the job in 2019 after his daughter fell ill.
Enrique returned to his position in November 2019 and led Spain to the semifinals at UEFA Euro 2020. He also helped the team secure a runners-up finish in the 2021 UEFA Nations League.
Enrique was criticized for his squad selection heading into this year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He ignored veteran defender Sergio Ramos, goalkeeper David De Gea and midfielder Thiago Alcantara, taking a number of youngsters instead. Many felt the team lacked the experience needed to deal with the pressure of knockout football.
Overall, Enrique was in charge of Spain for 39 matches. He won 20 and lost only five times.