Will he lead a revolution for Algeria? World's third-best manager makes major concessions to coach Algeria

Roberto Martínez competes with Gustavo Poyet

A twist could upend everything. The Algerian Football Federation had edged closer to naming their new coach, but the last few hours have thrown up a heavyweight contender who has muscled his way into the negotiations.

As we revealed previously, Uruguayan Gustavo Poyet (58) led the field to take charge of Algeria. His CV, his passionate personality and his international experience dazzled FAF officials, offering a profile completely at odds with what Vladimir Petkovic brought.

Poyet's candidacy remains strong. It meets every internal criterion and won a consensus within the Algerian leadership. Yet any last-minute development could block the deal from going through.

A world-class contender enters the race

According to French website "Foot Mercato", another big name has surged into contention. Spaniard Roberto Martinez, the former coach of Belgium and Portugal, has shown great and unexpected enthusiasm for the Algeria job.

Sources say Martinez has been impressed by the immense talent and potential in the Algeria squad, and is now ready to embark on this exciting African adventure.

His desire to make the project work runs deep. Martinez has shown a readiness to make significant concessions on his financial demands to fit the Federation's budget, and even surprised everyone by agreeing to appoint an Algerian assistant within his technical staff, a step that carries a message of great respect for Algerian football.

A terrifying CV

Few can match his pedigree at the highest level. Martinez led Belgium for six years and delivered a historic feat, third place at the 2018 World Cup after a painful 1-0 semi-final defeat to France. He then spent the last four years in charge of Portugal, on top of a distinguished spell with Everton in the English league.