Football can be unforgiving. Portugal’s World Cup journey has come to a bitter end for Roberto Martinez, eliminated in the round of 16 by Spain. After another disappointing World Cup performance, the now-former national coach fell victim to his own superstitions. Wait, what?
To understand this, let’s take a step back a few weeks. Before the tournament, Martinez expressed his firm belief in Portugal’s chances of winning, attributing it to… the number six.
“I have a strong belief in numerology. I think the number 6 can bring something very positive. In 2016, Portugal won the Euros; in 1966, they achieved their best World Cup result; and in 2006, they made it to the semifinals… It’s time for Portugal to achieve what it truly deserves,” he stated in an interview with ‘RTP’. Furthermore, it marked Cristiano Ronaldo‘s sixth World Cup appearance.
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Sadly, this seemingly lucky number turned against him in a dramatic way. Portugal was knocked out on July 6 — by a goal from Mike Merino, Spain’s number 6, who scored just six minutes after coming onto the field as a substitute. But we won’t delve into the concept of triple-sixes here.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.