Daniel Santos has been dismissed as head coach of Luxembourg’s women’s national team following multiple complaints from players over inappropriate messages he sent to members of the squad.
The 44-year-old had been in the role since 2020 and oversaw a period of modest progress for a national team that has historically struggled at European level.
His final matches in charge came earlier this month, two heavy defeats in 2027 World Cup qualifying, a 5-0 loss to Scotland followed by a 7-0 hammering in the return fixture three days later.
It is understood that the results had no bearing on the decision. What made his continued employment impossible was the behaviour itself and the breakdown of trust it caused among the players.
As confirmed by OneFootball, the FLF’s board gathered testimonies from the players involved and concluded that the incidents took place within a relationship of authority and responsibility, making them directly contrary to the federation’s ethical standards.
The statement described the loss of trust among the squad as total and said it would have been impossible to ask the players to continue working under Santos in those circumstances.
The federation acted once the complaints were formalised. His contract was terminated with immediate effect, and no public statement was made on his behalf.
The FLF declined to share the specific content of the messages or the identities of the players involved, citing the need to protect those who came forward.
Santos is a Luxembourg native who played as a defender in the country’s lower divisions before moving into coaching.
