Who Leads Portugal?

After a barrage of motivational slogans like "get used to it, we came to win" or "we're going to do what hasn't been done yet," the reality is that our National Team's World Cup performance fell far short of expectations. The question everyone is asking, and to which no one has responded, is simple: who takes responsibility?

Let's start with Martínez. A gentleman in his demeanor. Polite, respectful, and quick to learn the language to integrate. The problem was never his demonstrated commitment, but rather how he led a generation of immense quality. His words and actions almost always created more doubt than confidence.

The tactical flexibility he so often spoke of ultimately amounted to nothing. In moments of greatest difficulty, he frequently resorted to clichés. Against Spain, he reminded everyone that Portugal had faced "one of the favorites to win the World Cup" and had played "eye to eye." Both statements conveyed the exact same message: beating that Spanish side would be an almost impossible mission.

This was one of Martínez's biggest mistakes. He never understood that Portugal has players capable of competing in any game against any national team. That we, too, are favorites. After an unconvincing group stage, he even stated that "it didn't matter whether we finished first or second" and that "the first three games served as preparation."

Later, he recalled that under his tenure, Portugal had "the best numbers in history." A true statement, but out of context. A large part of those numbers were built against weaker opponents and created a perception that was never confirmed when the degree of difficulty increased.

After three and a half years, what does Martínez leave behind? A team without identity, unpredictable, and unable to excite the fans. We never knew what face they would present in each game. During matches, many substitutions seemed predetermined, regardless of what the game demanded. He said everyone counted, but in practice, the higher-profile players always counted much more than the rest.

If Martínez failed on the pitch, Pedro Proença also failed off it. After the swiftness with which he appeared to speak in moments of success, as happened after winning the Nations League, the same readiness was expected to explain the World Cup failure. It didn't happen. In defeat, he opted for a social media message and only spoke upon arrival in Lisbon.

The expectation was that he would take responsibility alongside the coaching staff and players. When he finally spoke, he surprised everyone by stating: "Everyone knows this coach wasn't my first option."

The statement raises an inevitable question. After winning the Nations League, Pedro Proença had the opportunity to change course. He didn't. On the contrary, he publicly reinforced his confidence in Roberto Martínez, honoring him, and even during the World Cup, he went so far as to say: "We are 28+1" — a clear allusion to Martínez.

I detect a lack of coherence here. In the victories of the European Championship and the U-17 World Cup (when he had just arrived at the FPF), he had no problem claiming the victories as his own, without acknowledging the work of the previous structure.

In the League, Pedro Proença stood out for strong communication and a constant public presence. This model helped build an image of leadership. At the FPF, however, the reality is different. Here, it's not enough to create media buzz. The president is inevitably judged by the national teams' results and how he reacts when they fail. It is precisely in moments of defeat that a leader distinguishes himself: he takes responsibility, explains what went wrong, and points the way forward. It was precisely there that Pedro Proença failed. At the FPF, prominence is not enough. Leadership is essential.

Jorge Jesus represents much more than a change of coach. He represents a new way of leading. He brings authenticity, confidence, demanding standards, and a rare ability to mobilize those around him. His genuine way of communicating brings him closer to players and fans and creates empathy. He doesn't need prepared speeches to convey conviction.

In his first words, he laid out some fundamental ideas. The first is that performance must take precedence over status. We will no longer have a politician on the bench, but a coach. He also demonstrated that he understands the quality at his disposal. This shows that he comprehends the responsibility of the role and that Portugal should focus much more on itself than on its opponents.

Finally, Jorge Jesus repeatedly emphasized an idea I consider crucial: to win, quality on the pitch is not enough. Everything off the pitch must also be aligned. From his experience, he understands the contexts he is in and knows that unity cannot exist solely for photo opportunities.

Between the lines, Jorge Jesus conveyed the main message of his presentation: everyone will have to think first about the collective and only then about the individual. Starting with the FPF president.