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    •  August 4, 2016

    Belgians Fear Relegation From EU After Wilmots Replacement Appointed

    August 4, 2016
    Dan McAuliffe
    Editor
    Dan McAuliffe
    Editor

    A wave of panic gripped Belgium Wednesday as the Royal Belgian Football Association appointed Roberto Martinez as successor to Marc Wilmots. 

    Citizens fear that Belgium will be relegated from the European Union under Martinez’s leadership.

    An exit from the EU would wreak untold havoc on Belgium’s economy.

    The entire United Kingdom was relegated from the EU after manager Roy Hodgson failed to secure the requisite votes to keep the Brits part of Europe.

    Roy Hodgson (left) was forced to step down as England's manager after the UK was relegated from the EU in a historic move
    Roy Hodgson (left) was forced to step down as England’s manager after the UK was relegated from the EU in a historic move

    The UK’s exit from Europe has put other countries on alert. Especially troubling for Belgians is Roberto Martinez’s checkered history as manager.

    Under his stewardship, Wigan was relegated from the Premier League in 2013 after eight years in England’s top division.

    After steering Wigan straight into the Championship, Martinez was snapped up by Everton in 2013. At Everton, his squads flirted with relegation for a few seasons before he was sacked in May of 2016 with one league game remaining.

    Poor Romelu Lukaku can’t seem to get away from Roberto Martinez no matter what he does.

    Belgium’s got a wealth of talent and Marc Wilmots never figured out how to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. While failure and disappointment were the norm under Wilmots, the threat of relegation has never been a bigger concern than it is now with Roberto Martinez in charge.

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