Former Everton and Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has been criticised by Radja Nainggolan for his lack of tactics.
The Spaniard spent three years at Goodison Park and had a positive record, winning 62, drawing 37 and losing 44.
But Martinez was sacked in May 2016 after a run of defeats left the Toffees 12th in the Premier League table.
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He was appointed Belgium manager three months later, where he worked with Radja Nainggolan, who clearly wasn’t a fan.
Roberto Martinez prior to Portugal v Hungary - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier
Photo by Diogo Cardoso – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Radja Nainggolan slams former Everton boss Roberto Martinez
Martinez coached what many viewed as Belgium’s ‘golden generation’, including stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, but they never won anything.
Now, Nainggolan has suggested the Red Devils would have been successful if not for the former Everton man.
He said: “He is not a football expert, he’s a very poor coach. Belgium could have won titles if it wasn’t for him.
“With Martinez, there was no tactics or strategy. When we were in trouble, it was, pass to Hazard, or to De Bruyne, or to Lukaku. Never any style, never any tactics.
“Today, I tell myself that I would have preferred to play for Indonesia, for the respect they would have shown me.”
Martinez’s first major tournament as Belgium manager was the 2018 World Cup.
His team were bested in the semi-finals by eventual winners France before beating England in the third-place play-offs.
Martinez stepped down in December 2022 on the back of Belgium’s failure to make it out of the group stages at the 2022 World Cup.
Roberto Martinez was linked with Everton return
A month before he departed Belgium, Martinez was linked with an Everton return.
Frank Lampard was under increasing pressure at the time and was eventually dismissed in January 2023.
However, the ex-Toffees coach instead decided to take up another national team role, this time with Portugal.
Selecao das Quinas qualified for Euro 2024 under his guidance, but were knocked out in the quarter-finals by France.