Roberto Martinez Leaves Wigan Athletic, Set To Manage Everton

Roberto Martinez has declared that he intends to leave Wigan Athletic, and looks set to become the new manager of Everton instead.

Martinez has been given permission by the club to hold talks with Everton, whose manager, David Moyes, recently left to take over the Manchester United job.

Martinez lead Wigan Athletic to the FA Cup this season, after they unexpectedly beat Manchester City in the final, however he couldn’t prevent them from getting relegated.

Wigan’s chairman, Dave Whelan, stated, “Roberto wanted permission to move, so i’ve given that. He feels he’s not the man to lead us back into the Premier League. I’ve got to accept what he feels. He loves Wigan and the fans. We have to move on now and want applications for the job.”

Previously, Whelan had distanced Martinez from a job at Goodison Park, noting, “Whenever he wants to go, I’ll release him immediately, but he’ll only go to a big, big club and I don’t think Everton are big enough.”

On Tuesday though, Whelan told the BBC, “I did tell Roberto before I spoke to him this morning that Everton chairman Bill Kenwright had rung me on Friday and asked for permission to speak to him.”

He then added, “If he decided to leave us, he is a must for Everton. He plays football from back to front and Everton like to play football from back to front. In my mind, he is tailor-made to manage Everton.”

Martinez has had several options to leave Wigan Athletic since joining them in June 2009. Just two years later he turned down a position at Aston Villa and decided to stay in the North-West of England, whilst last year he was heavily linked with the position at Liverpool.

Martinez had previously been in charge at Swansea, where he guided them into the Championship in 2008.

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