Former Portugal boss Fernando Santos fired by Azerbaijan following Iceland defeat and brutal media attacks [video] | OneFootball

Former Portugal boss Fernando Santos is no longer the manager of the Azerbaijan national team, following 11 winless matches in charge.

Euro 2016 winner Santos has been dismissed in the wake of Friday’s 5-0 hammering by Iceland, which was followed by an extraordinary confrontation with journalists who implored the veteran to resign from his position.

The defeat in Reykjavik left Santos’ record in charge as follows: Played: 11 Won: 0 Drew: 2 Lost: 9. He was hired in June last year. Unsurprisingly, it is the first time in his managerial career that Santos has left a post with a 0% win rate.

Following Friday’s World Cup qualifier hammering at the hands of Iceland, Santos faced a tough press conference during his post-match media duties. One journalist, imploring him to resign, said: “You've earned enough money. Do they have to pay you compensation to send you off, don’t you have any self respect?”

Santos replied by insisting he will honour his contract. Meanwhile, another member of the travelling Azerbaijani media added an additional barb, asking Santos if there were any direct flights from Iceland to Portugal. The 70-year-old former Seleção boss replied calmly, refusing to comment much beyond a shake of the head.

On Monday, Santos’ departure was announced, as many had expected. It marks the third job since leaving Portugal that has ended prematurely for Santos. His spell in charge of Poland was even shorter, lasting just six matches, while a similarly brief stint in Türkiye with Besiktas ended with his firing after a little over three months in Istanbul.

“I cannot fail to thank the Federation President for the respect and personal consideration he has always shown me,” Santos said in a statement. “I also thank the people of Azerbaijan for the hospitality and affection they have shown me throughout this period.

“The objective proposed to me by the Azerbaijan Federation in June 2024 was to reform the country’s football foundations from a technical and infrastructural perspective, including coaching and organisation, with a view to fielding a competitive team in the Euro 2028 qualifying phase.

“I presented, with the necessary adaptations, a comprehensive plan in September 2024, similar to other projects I have developed in federations where I have worked. I hope this project will be useful to the AFFA and that it will motivate the necessary investment to create and develop football talent that will enable better results in the future. I wish everyone the best of luck.”