Domenico Tedesco, a former manager of Schalke, Spartak Moscow, and RB Leipzig, has been named Belgium’s head coach.
Domenico Tedesco, a 37-year-old German citizen of Italian descent, has signed a contract extension with Belgium until the end of the 2024 European Championship.
He succeeds Roberto Martinez, who stepped down as manager of Belgium after six years following the country’s World Cup group-stage defeat in Qatar.
It is a great honor to be the new head coach of Belgium,” Tedesco said after the country announced his appointment.
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’s first match in charge will be against Sweden on March 24 in a Euro 2024 qualifying match.
Who is Domenico Tedesco?
Tedesco began coaching the Stuttgart and Hoffenheim youth teams at the age of 31 after a quiet playing career in the lower echelons of German football.
He managed Erzgebirge Aue in the lower leagues for a short time before joining Schalke for the 2017-18 season.
During his first season in charge, he led them to second place in the Bundesliga, but he was fired in March 2019 after going seven games without a win, including a 7-0 Champions League loss to Manchester City.
He then played for Spartak Moscow for two years before joining RB Leipzig in December 2021. Last season, Leipzig won the German Cup and advanced to the Europa League semifinals. On the other hand, Tedesco was fired in September after the 2022-23 season got off to a rocky start.
He had been unemployed until Belgium announced his appointment today, February 8, 2023.