Euro 2024: How Motherwell made Portugal boss Roberto Martinez

Roberto Martinez enters a bustling barbershop in Motherwell and takes a seat nervously.

He doesn't have a reservation, but luck is on his side. The barber, maybe a little confused since there isn't much hair to cut, waves him in and starts working.

No one has a clue who this person is, so just picture the surprise from the staff and other customers when the conversation eventually turns to asking "so, what do you do for a living?"

The Spaniard decided to take some time off from managing Belgium's talented group of players, including Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku.

Perhaps that is something Martinez finds pleasure in during his visits to Motherwell, located on the outskirts of Glasgow. After all, the western region of Scotland has a way of grounding you, whether you like it or not.

It is where his wife, Beth, was born. They met while he was playing in Lanarkshire for a year. The Portugal head coach mentioned in 2014 that the experience was a mix of good and bad.

If you regularly check your Motherwell social media, you might notice some Martinez content popping up every now and then.

In 2018, he was seen with a chef at the Moorings Hotel during the holiday season. In 2021, a photo appeared of him observing a training session for the local boys club Motherwell Phoenix.

"It's a rare occurrence to have Roberto Martinez unexpectedly show up and observe your training session with a sincere interest," they posted on social media.

The Spanish coach had been serving as the head coach of Belgium for six years by that time.

During Martinez's tenure, Belgium was ranked as the top nation by Fifa for three consecutive years. However, he was unable to lead a team filled with talented players to win a major championship.

He guided them to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018 and the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. On both occasions, he was defeated by the teams that went on to win the tournaments - France and Italy.

During his time with Belgium, he had previously led Swansea to the Championship, won the FA Cup with Wigan, and achieved a fifth-place finish at Everton.

However, it was the nine months Martinez spent in Motherwell that truly influenced him. During his time there, he crossed paths with his future spouse, and together they have nurtured two children.

However, there was no love story on the field. The ex-midfielder did not meet the expectations after coming from Wigan in 2001.

Sixteen times playing in games, with only eight of those as a starter, then being let go along with 18 other players when the Fir Park club faced financial struggles.

"Motherwell was quite memorable because it was not a positive experience," he remembered.

"Being a manager, this experience was extremely beneficial for me. It was tough to deal with a team facing administration, but it ultimately shaped me into the manager I am today."

Overall, I had a great time experiencing Scottish football. While it may not have been a success for me personally at the time, it was a valuable learning experience that greatly contributed to my growth as a manager.

Martinez faced relegation at Wigan, was fired from Everton, and experienced a surprising early exit in the World Cup with Belgium before stepping down in 2022.

Has any of those experiences caused as much pain as being laid off as a player? It has definitely contributed to his toughness as a coach.

Currently managing Portugal, he is once again in charge of a new generation of highly skilled players with high expectations.

Martinez has only been defeated in three out of the 18 games he has coached since taking on the position last year. He managed to win all 10 of his Euro 2024 qualifiers, scoring a total of 36 goals while only allowing two goals against his team.

Portugal have continued their strong performance with two victories - against Czech Republic and Turkey - in their first two group matches at the finals. Despite a loss to Georgia, they advanced as Group F champions.

Slovenia will play in the next round of 16 on Monday at 5:00 PM BST, and the match will be shown live on BBC One.

Some think that the team in Germany is unbeatable with players like Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Joao Palhinha, Vitinha, Rafael Leao, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix and Diogo Jota.

Of course, we can't forget about Cristiano Ronaldo. But the list doesn't stop there.

It is still unknown if the pressure of having such a talented team is a positive thing, but Martinez's past success with Belgium could be very important in helping him achieve his biggest accomplishment.

If he wins the trophy in Berlin next month, he will definitely catch the attention of his next barber in Motherwell. He will be proudly wearing a Euros winners' medal around his neck.