After guiding Portugal to Euro 2024 with a perfect 10 wins from 10 in qualifying, he secured opening wins against the Czech Republic and Turkey to book a spot in the last 16 with a game to spare.
But a 2-0 loss to Georgia last week brought Martinez back down to earth with a bump, and he goes into tonight's clash with Slovenia under pressure.
Having coached Belgium's golden generation for six years, Martinez knows all about having the weight of a nation on his shoulders.
But, after failing to get Belgium over the line at major tournaments, the big question is whether things can be different for him with Portugal?
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