Domenico Tedesco takes helm as Belgium’s new head coach

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) – Domenico Tedesco has been appointed as Belgium’s new head coach, the Royal Belgian Football Association announced on Wednesday.

Tedesco, 37, will sign a contract with the Belgian football body until after the 2024 European Championship, the association said in a statement.

"For me it is a great honor to be the new head coach of Belgium," Tedesco said. "I'm really looking forward to the task and I'm extremely motivated. I had a very good feeling right from the first conversation."

Tedesco succeeded Roberto Martinez as head coach of the Red Devils.

Martinez, 49, quit as Belgium’s manager on Dec. 2 after their exit from the 2022 Qatar World Cup at the group stage.

Martinez, who started managing Belgium in 2016, guided the team to their best-ever World Cup, a third-place finish in Russia 2018.

Tedesco, who previously managed Russian team Spartak Moscow and German club Schalke 04, joined to the Red Devils from German Bundesliga side Leipzig.

In 2021-22 season, he bagged one German Cup with the German club, which he had coached since December 2021 till his departure.