😱 Lucky number? Hardly, did this national coach jinx the World Cup exit? | OneFootball

Football can be cruel too. The end of Portugal’s World Cup adventure is truly bitter for Roberto Martinez. Knocked out as early as the round of 16 against Spain after yet another disappointing World Cup, Portugal’s now-resigned national coach fell into the trap of his own superstition. Excuse me, what?

To explain that, we need to rewind a few weeks. Before the World Cup, Roberto Martinez had said that he firmly believed in Portugal’s chances of winning the tournament — thanks to... the number six.

"I strongly believe in numerology. I think that 6 can bring something very positive. In 2016, Portugal won the Euros; in 1966, they achieved their best-ever result (at a World Cup). In 2006, there was a semifinal... It is time to achieve what Portugal fully deserves," he told the TV channel 'RTP'. Oh, and it was also Cristiano Ronaldo’s 6th World Cup appearance.

But unfortunately, that number turned against him in spectacular fashion. Portugal were eliminated on July 6 — by a goal from Mike Merino, Spain’s number 6, exactly 6 minutes after coming on as a substitute. But we’re not going to get into the whole triple-six thing here. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 PAUL ELLIS - AFP or licensors