After meeting with Premier League clubs Wolves and Aston Villa before the holidays, Sporza claims that Peter Bosz is a major contender to replace Roberto Martinez as manager of the Belgium national side

After meeting with Premier League clubs Wolves and Aston Villa before the holidays, Sporza claims that Peter Bosz is a major contender to replace Roberto Martinez as manager of the Belgium national side.

After meeting with Premier League clubs Wolves and Aston Villa before the holidays, Sporza claims that Peter Bosz is a major contender to replace Roberto Martinez as manager of the Belgium national side.

Whoever replaces Roberto Martinez on the bench for the Rote Duivels will have one of the most difficult tasks in European football, what with Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Axel Witsel, and Thomas Meunier all being over the age of 30.

The next manager of Belgium will have to start from scratch after inheriting Martinez’s shoddy foundation. The “Golden” (or “Olden”) Generation is being replaced by a wave of youthful, talented individuals.

Bosz’s reputation for nurturing young talent is undoubtedly a big factor in his rise to the top of Belgium’s managerial wish list. Bosz’s Ajax, led by 17-year-old Matthijs de Ligt and with an average age of only 22, made history when they faced Manchester United in the 2017 Champions League final as the youngest team to ever reach that point.

Bosz is also proud of his ‘great attacking football,’ as he puts it. A slick, unrestricted style that can bring out the best in Belgium’s rising stars like Anass Zaroury, Nicolas Raskin, Charles de Ketelaere, Aster Vranckx, and Johan Bakayoko.

Bosz, previously of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, is now unemployed after being let go by Lyon in October due to the club’s inability to maintain a strong offensive and defensive presence. On average, Bosz’s Lyon let up as many goals as they scored. That’s a big deal, from both ends of the field.

Eventually, Julen Lopetegui took control of the Wolves. Meanwhile, Unai Emery has taken over for Steven Gerrard as Aston Villa’s manager. Both Lopetegui and Emery are well-respected for developing disciplined and effective squads. Both won the Europa League with Sevilla. Teams are able to carve out wins while facing technically superior opponents.

Maybe at the time, when both Wolves and Aston Villa were fighting relegation, they decided Bosz’s exciting but risky plan wasn’t worth following.

Domenico Tedesco, the former manager of Schalke and RB Leipzig, is reportedly another candidate being considered by Belgium, as reported by Sporza. Leipzig released the 37-year-old in September.