Domenico Tedesco takes helm as Belgium’s new head coach

ANKARA

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.