Fernando Santos Sacked After 6 Matches in Charge of Poland National Team

Fernando Santos has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of Poland's national team, as announced by the Polish Football Federation today. This decision comes after Santos took the helm in January and recorded three losses in six matches.

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"The Polish Football Federation (PZPN) announces that, as of September 13, 2023, coach Fernando Santos will no longer serve as Poland’s national coach."

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At the age of 68, Fernando Santos started his tenure with the Polish national team with a defeat against the Czech Republic in Euro 2024 qualifying. The team then secured victories over Albania and Germany, the latter in a friendly match, before another loss to Moldova. Poland later defeated the Faroe Islands but suffered a setback against Albania, putting them in a challenging position in the quest to qualify for the upcoming European Championship.

With two wins and three losses in qualifying, Poland currently occupies the fourth spot in Group E, having accumulated six points from five games. They trail behind Albania with 10 points, the Czech Republic and Moldova with eight each, and are just ahead of the Faroe Islands.

Santos took over from Czeslaw Michniewicz, who led the Polish team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated by France, the tournament's runners-up.

Previously, Santos had managed the Portuguese national team from 2014 until his departure on December 15, 2022, after securing Portugal's first two senior-level international titles: the Euro 2016 victory and the 2019 Nations League.

In his 109 matches with the Portuguese national team, Fernando Santos achieved 67 wins, 23 draws, and 19 losses, with the last defeat occurring against Morocco, 1-0, in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

What are the insiders saying?

Cezary Kulesza, President of PZPN, stated in a release: "I would like to thank Coach Santos for his work with the Polish national team and wish him good luck in his future sporting challenges. Selecting a new coach is now our top priority, and we will soon announce the identity of the new coach."

Fernando Santos also commented: "Although our collaboration has come to an end, I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead the Polish national team. I wish all the best to the Poland national team and the people here, who warmly welcomed me during my time here."

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