A month after parting firm together with his native Portugal, Santos was offered in Warsaw on Tuesday because the coach of Poland’s nationwide crew.

The 68-year-old Santos turned Poland’s third foreign-born coach — after Leo Beenhakker and Paulo Sousa — and arrives with expertise of main high-profile gamers equivalent to Ronaldo, who Santos even benched final month in the course of the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Now Santos can be teaching a crew captained by Lewandowski, the Barcelona striker who, at 34, is approaching the top of his profession and may solely have the European Championship in 2024 and probably the 2026 World Cup left to play at worldwide stage.

Santos is tasked with enhancing Poland’s underwhelming report at latest main tournaments.

Since 1986, the nationwide crew has solely superior from the group stage at one World Cup (2022) and one European Championship (2016).

Santos, famend for being a realistic, defensive-minded coach, has good pedigree at worldwide stage. In eight years with Portugal, he led the crew to the Euro 2016 title — the nation’s first worldwide trophy — and the inaugural Nations League title in 2019. He additionally coached Greece at Euro 2012, the place it reached the quarterfinals, and the 2014 World Cup.

Poland didn’t lengthen the contract of Santos’ predecessor, Czeslaw Michniewicz, after reaching the knockout stage of a World Cup for the primary time in 36 years. Michniewicz’s contract ended December 31.

Former Portugal and South Korea coach Paulo Bento and Liverpool nice Steven Gerrard, just lately fired by Aston Villa within the Premier League, had been linked with the job after the Polish soccer federation mentioned it will be hiring a overseas coach.

Santos’ better expertise might need made the distinction. On Monday, when it turned clear Santos can be employed, Polish Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk congratulated the soccer affiliation on Twitter on its resolution and known as Santos a extremely profitable coach with “experience in working with great stars” equivalent to Ronaldo.