After Belgium's group stage exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Roberto Martinez announced that he will be stepping down from the managerial position. However, fans on Twitter noticed something unusual about the way Martinez walked out of his final on-field interview as manager.
The Red Devils put up a dismal display at the 2022 World Cup. Martinez's side won their first game against Canada, despite the North American side giving arguably the better performance.
Their second game ended in a 2-0 defeat against Morocco after another lackluster display. There were also reports of a dressing room clash after the loss, which the team's superstars later denied.
They had to win their final group game against Croatia in order to qualify, as Morocco defeated Canada at the same time. However, Martinez's side could only manage a goalless draw. Romelu Lukaku squandered a bunch of gilt-edged chances after coming on as a second-half substitute. The result confirmed Belgium's elimination.
The former Everton manager announced that he will vacate his position after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, many fans believe the Spaniard performed Michael Jackson's legendary moonwalk move to walk out of the job in style.
Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter on the topic:
Roberto Martinez dismissed claims that he was in charge of Belgium's 'golden generation' after 2022 FIFA World Cup exit
Roberto Martinez dismissed claims that he was in charge of Belgium's "golden generation" after stepping down from his role. Rather, he believes the Red Devils side that reached the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup were the better team.
Speaking after the 2022 FIFA World Cup exit, Martinez said (via The Guardian):
"In 2016 we were not the golden generation, The golden generation were the ones who reached the semi-finals in Mexico in 1986. Since then, this generation has become the golden generation of Belgian football."
Roberto Martinez took charge of the so-called "golden generation" which included Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku back in 2016 from Marc Wilmots. However, a third-placed finish in the 2018 World cup remains his best performance in charge of the Red Devils.
Many Belgian fans believe that Martinez underperformed with that immense talent pool since he didn't win any major international honors.