Just days after Portugal's long-serving coach Fernando Santos insisted he would not be forced out of the job he has held for eight years despite his team's early World Cup exit, the inevitable still happened.

The Portuguese football federation (FPF) released a statement late on Thursday, confirming that it had reached an agreement with Santos "to end the journey of great success that began in September 2014".

"Both FPF and Fernando Santos understand that this is the right time to start a new cycle," it added. "The FPF Board will now begin the process of choosing the next national coach."

Santos took over in October 2014 and led Portugal to their first ever major tournament successes, winning Euro 2016 and the inaugural Nations League three years later. The 68-year-old had been contracted until after Euro 2024, but Portugal's quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Morocco in Qatar and a Cristiano Ronaldo drama that played out in public have forced FPF's hands.

It had started so well for Santos at this World Cup. Portugal had stormed into knockout stages as group winners and thrashed Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16 when Santos made the bold call to banish his captain Ronaldo to the bench. That controversial decision was vindicated as Ronaldo's replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a sensational hat-trick to keep his place for the quarterfinal.

Portuguese sports newspaper Record revealed that Ronaldo threatened to leave Qatar after being told he would not start against Switzerland, but Santos denied that had happened and only admitted that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was not happy. "We had a frank and normal conversation," he said.

Ronaldo sat on the bench again for the quarterfinal showdown with Morocco, but Santos' team lacked a cutting edge against the African underdogs and were knocked out with a whimper after a first-half header from Youssef En-Nesyri. 

Despite criticism from fans and pundits, Santos reiterated that he had no regrets about the tactical move to demote Ronaldo, who was caught wiping tears from his eyes at the final whistle as his last World Cup appearance came to a premature end.

"I do not think that what happened to Cristiano and all the criticism that he faced had any impact on the match..." Santos told a press conference. "Cristiano is a great player and he came in when we thought it was necessary."

For all the controversies, Santos has left an indelible legacy for Portuguese football. According to stats provider Opta, Santos had a formidable 61.5 percent win rate in charge of Portugal with 67 victories from 109 matches at the helm. He won two history-making trophies for his country, but the last-16 exits at the 2018 World Cup and the Euro 2020, along with the setback in Qatar, has ultimately led to his downfall.

In an emotional farewell message posted on social media, Santos declared that being Portugal's coach was a "dream come true" and a "life goal" he fulfilled. He also took the chance to again defend his move to drop Ronaldo, adding it was for the greater good.

"When you lead groups, you have to make some difficult decisions," he said. "It's normal that not everyone was happy with the choices I made but the decisions I took were always thinking about what would be best for our team."

Multiple Portuguese media outlets have reported that Roma boss Jose Mourinho, arguably the most recognizable Portuguese coach in football world, is the early favorite to take over as Santos' successor.

The high-profile tactician boasted a trophy-laden career with successful stints at a number of European powerhouses, including Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United. 

The 59-year-old maestro won three English Premier League titles, two Italian Serie A crowns and a Spanish La Liga triumph. He also had two Champions League trophies to his name and led Roma to win the Europa Conference League last season, the Italian side's first ever major title.

Mourinho has never coached at international level, but he has sufficient knowledge of Portuguese football and the charisma to oversee Ronaldo, who suggested he has no plan to retire and wants to play at Euro 2024.

After a World Cup hiatus, Mourinho's Roma will return to domestic Serie A clash with Bologna on January 4. It remains to be seen how he will respond to questions on his future and the possibility to take up the reins of one of the most promising teams in the world.