Martin O’Neill is in the Celtic dugout for now, but the club still needs to find a long-term replacement.
That could come in the form of Roberto Martínez, the current coach of Portugal, who will leave his post after the 2026 World Cup.
Portugal will take on Croatia for a place in the last-16, but the Open Goal panel have fired a pre-warning to Celtic about possibly appointing Martinez down the line, given how his teams have been playing.
Andy Halliday noted that if Celtic were to bring in Martinez after Martin O’Neill, then they would be paying him ‘fortunes’, as he told Open Goal.
While the rest of the panel agreed with his comments and labelled the Spanish coach’s style of play as ‘rubbish.’
Could Roberto Martinez be Martin O’Neill’s long-term replacement at Celtic?
Martinez will leave Portugal, regardless, after the World Cup. Your thoughts, Celtic fans…🍀🇵🇹👇
Roberto Martinez and Portugal slammed for style of play at World Cup
Andy Halliday: “I think Celtic will want to watch not getting Roberto Martinez, by the way. There is one for you.”
Paul Slane: “His football is rubbish.”
Si Ferry: “It’s rotten.”
Scott Allan: “Agreed.”
Halliday: “I think they want to watch, not getting him. They would have been paying him fortunes as well.”
Martinez would be a brilliant appointment at Celtic after Martin O’Neill
First and foremost, it’s a different beast altogether – international football and what happens on the domestic scene.
Yes, Martinez was the coach of that ‘Golden Generation’ Belgium team, and he failed to win a trophy.
Plus, his current Portugal side aren’t playing at their free-flowing best, but nor are England under Thomas Tuchel, and they have far more quality.
But that doesn’t make Tuchel a bad coach; he has a European Cup to his name for a reason!
Martinez hasn’t managed to make it click on the international stage, but he still has a healthy record as a club manager, including winning the FA Cup with Wigan.
His managerial career path isn’t too dissimilar to that of Celtic’s trophy-laden coach, Brendan Rodgers.
From coaching Swansea City, managing on Merseyside, style of play, winning an FA Cup with an underdog, and having vast amounts of experience in the Premier League.
Martinez would be a brilliant addition for Celtic, and a smooth follow-up to the mess O’Neill is trying to sort out following the club’s domestic double success last term.
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