Brussels (AFP)
The Belgian media reported that the Football Association in its country had reached an agreement with the Italian-German Domenico Tedesco, according to which he would assume the position of coach of the “Red Devils” team, until 2026, to succeed the Spaniard Roberto Martinez.
The Belgian Confederation has not confirmed this information yet, and is awaiting the green light of its board of directors in the coming days, according to the newspapers “Heat Lateste News” and “La Derniere Ur”.
The 37-year-old coach must reach an agreement to disengage from his former club, Leipzig, which he dismissed from his post last September, but he is still paying his salary.
It is likely that the Belgian Frank Vercauteren will become the new technical director of the federation, a position that was also occupied by Martinez, who left his position following Belgium’s exit from the first round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, along with the position of coach.
The name of Tedesco, the surprise candidate and former coach of Schalke 04 (2017-2019), and Russian Spartak Moscow (2019-2021), appeared among the most prominent candidates in the last days of the Belgian Federation working group.
Dutchman Peter Boss, who had been free since his departure from Olympique Lyon last October, was the other candidate whose name was mentioned by local media in recent days, while Frenchman Thierry Henry and Dutchman Louis van Gaal were excluded following they were on the list.
Belgium will play their first Euro 2024 qualifier on March 24 in Sweden, before a friendly once morest Germany four days later.
Martinez, who was contracted by Portugal to succeed Fernando Santos, led Belgium to third place in the 2018 World Cup and to the top of the world rankings for three years.
