Gather in the same phrase right now to Real Zaragoza With the panorama of International football It is a real challenge. One of the keys to achieve this is that in the same text the name of the current coach of the Portuguese team and recent champion of the Nations League appears: Roberto Martínez.
Of playing in Europe not to mention ascent: the discourse of Real Zaragoza turns in three years
The coach, born in Balaguer, is one of the architects of Portugal’s victory against Spain in the end of the Nations League that meant Roberto Martínez’s first title at the head of a selection. To recognize your connection with Zaragoza you have to leave behind your years on the benches and go to the stage of Catalan footballer.
In his principles as a player, Roberto Martínez stressed in the subsidiary of the Aragonese capital where he would debut with the first team of Real Zaragoza before taking his bags and leaving to the United Kingdom to no longer return as a player or as a coach to Spanish lands.
Roberto Martínez, to debut with Real Zaragoza to the Nations League
How was his career as a footballer?
Win the UEFA Nations League, his last success as a coach
Roberto Martínez, to debut with Real Zaragoza to the Nations League
It would be June 20, 1993, with 19 years, when Roberto Martínez managed to debut in the First Division with Real Zaragoza. He did it when the coach at that time of the Blanquillo team, Víctor Fernández, made the decision to entry to the Catalan replacing the fourth in the absence of 35 minutes for the conclusion of the party.
In those years, the current coach of the Portuguese team was in the Real Zaragoza subsidiary and after debuting in the top category in Spain, he undertook a trip to British lands where he went through several teams as a player, to later start his coach stage. A period on the benches that has led him to win the Title of the Nuns League leading Cristiano Ronaldo and company against Spain just a week ago.
The Nations League is the first selections title for Roberto Martínez. Photo: Portugal
How was his career as a footballer?
Roberto Martínez’s trajectory as a player began in his hometown’s team: C. F. Balaguer. In 1993, he arrived at the Real Zaragoza filial where he began friendship with Isidro Díaz and Jesús Seba, the latter currently being an analyst of the Portuguese team with Roberto Martínez and raised in the Miraralbueno neighborhood of Zaragoza. A season later, Roberto decided to return to the club of his birthplace.
Already in 1995, the current Portuguese coach decided to try their luck abroad and left for Wigan Athletic, along with his two friends made in Zaragoza and in English lands when society began among the three (Roberto, Isidro and Jesus) known as The Three Friends. The Catalan spent six years in Wigan, the one who most of his career as a player and became one of the most emblematic players in the club.
In 2001, Catalan landed at the Scottish Motherwell for a season later returning to England, leaving to Walsall. After a year, he went to Swansea City, where he would be three campaigns, before traveling to Chester City. In this last club he was until February 2007, when he returned to the Swansea City after the Welsh club required his services as a coach-player, starting Roberto Martínez’s career on the benches.
Real Zaragoza expects news in the goal and defense before the preseason
Win the UEFA Nations League, his last success as a coach
Roberto Martínez already pointed to ways on the benches when in his first full season at the Swansea, he achieved the promotion after proclaiming himself champion of the League One. His good performance in the Welsh club Upper English category, after Juande Ramos and Rafa Benítez.
In the 2012-2013 season, he got his first title, rising with the FA Cup, after winning 1-0 in the final to Manchester City. Despite the achievement in the Copera competition, he could not avoid the descent in the league and made the decision to leave the Wigan after four years. In 2013, he would arrive at Everton, where in his first season he achieved the fifth place, staying very close to the Champions positions. In 2016, Everton would choose to dismiss him on the penultimate league, having the toffee in position 12 with 44 points.
Lusos eliminate Spain in penalties. Photo: Portugal
After its team passage, in August 2016, Roberto Martínez made the decision to make the controls of the Belgium National Team with which he would make history. Currently, the Catalan is the coach of the Belgian national team with more victories in the World Cups and in history, having his best performance in the 2018 World Cup, when he obtained a historic third place and was the most scorer in the tournament. Despite this, a bad performance in the 2022 World Cup led Roberto to resign from his position as coach of Belgium.
At the beginning of 2023, the coach signed as a new Portugal coach. With Lusos, Roberto Martínez has been able to form a template that mixes youth and veteran in perfect balance. In the Eurocup of 2024, Portugal reached the quarterfinals where it was eliminated on penalties against France. Roberto Martínez has had his culmination in the achievement of Nations League after beating Spain from the fateful point after having tied two goals.
