Roberto Martinez stands down as Belgium manager after World Cup exit
“I’ve been six years with the national team. I arrived with a clear job of qualifying for the World Cup and you get so engaged with the project and the people behind the players.
“And then we finished with a bronze medal (at Russia 2018) and it felt that we had to give it another go and it’s been a real joy.
“We’ve been able to build a real legacy, and I know a lot of people say you can only build legacy by winning a major tournament, but I see it in a different way. I’m so proud of these players.”
Martinez’s side were improved against the 2018 finalists but substitute Romelu Lukaku, in particular, failed to take a number of second-half chances, the draw not enough as Croatia progressed in their place.
The Spaniard insists he has no regrets, instead rueing the ultimately costly performance in defeat to Morocco, who went on to win the group.
“It’s not easy to win games in the World Cup. We weren’t ourselves in the first game, we had a deserved defeat in our second game,” he added.
“Today we were ready, we created opportunities and today there is no regret. We’re out but we can leave with our heads held high.
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“You see Youri Tielemans and other young players – the golden generation is doing something that is bringing the next generation on.
“It’s not what names are on the pitch, the legacy can be left in many ways.”
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