Plan
The plan is no longer a plan, it is a matter of “it is what it is”. Roberto Martinez sticks to the same strategy he introduced six years ago: 3-4-3. However the players have changed. Vincent has left the company. Nor will Thomas Vermaelen, who will be on the bench as one of the coach’s assistants. When Belgium defeated Wales and the Netherlands in the Nations League in September, the defense consisted of three players from the Belgian Jupiler Pro League. Toby Alderweireld (Antwerp) and Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), who have recently returned to their home countries playing in Qatar and Benfica, and then the young and promising Xeno Debast (18 years old), who made his debut in September. The problem is that Alderweireld and Vertonghen are no longer at the same level as they were at Tottenham a few years ago.
Belgium lost twice to the Netherlands in four months and their seasoned and faltering defense is the main concern. Thibaut Courtois cannot stop all attacks on his own. Defense options are also not very encouraging. 1 choice to play alongside Alderweireld and Vertonghen, Jason Denyer, has taken a long summer to sign for a club. He trained on his behalf for several months before signing for the Dubai club in October.
Up front, Romelu Lukaku had a bad season at Chelsea. He was injured on his return to Inter and did not return to full form until October. Eden Hazard finally appears injury-free after three years of suffering at Real Madrid, but he is not getting several minutes at the moment.
“Eden is still very valuable to Belgium,” Martinez said of his captain. “The question is can he play 90 minutes and can he play seven games in less time. Eden hasn’t played at a consistent level for a long time and it is paying off. But he has shown his worth during the last international break,” Martinez explained.
Hazard remains the starter with Leandro Trossard as a substitute. Belgium are otherwise heavily reliant on Courtois and Kevin de Bruyne, their last two world-class players.
belgium ranking
F Group
Star, Unsung Hero, and Selector
kevin de bruin
Recently, Kevin De Bruyne got frustrated during the match against Netherlands. He plays with the best players in the world at Manchester City. With Belgium this has become a thing of the past. With Hazard and Lukaku often missing, De Bruyne has established himself as the leader on the pitch: the man who decides everything. Belgium is now up to his talent. At Euro 2020, De Bruyne suffered an ankle injury in a round of 16 tie against Portugal, but played an undercover match in the quarter-finals against Italy. This shows his commitment to the team. He has scored eight of 18 goals in the last 10 competition games, but is not playing at his best; He plays as a midfielder, while some of his best games have been played as a midfielder.
Michi Batsuyai
There isn’t exactly an unsung hero in Martinez’s favorite line-up, but when Lukaku goes missing, the Belgian may turn to Michi Batsuyi. Inconsolable at his club for several years, chasing repeated loans to Chelsea, he lends credibility to the Belgian. Lukaku has played only one cap in the past year, while Batsuyai has made appearances for Belgium in four of the eight matches, and his international scoring record is 26 goals from 47 appearances. It’s not a bad number. His goal-scoring background is better than his overall participation in matches, but sometimes it is enough against lesser opponents. A super substitute.
Robert Martinez
It is not yet known who will be Martinez’s successor after the World Cup or who will actually appoint him. Martinez currently combines the position of technical director and national coach at the Belgian Federation, but his contract expires at the end of the year: will he choose his own successor? Six years later, the patience of the Belgian public is slowly running out, though what happens in Qatar will define its legacy. Martínez led Belgium to their best ever World Cup result, third place in Russia 2018, but they did not win any trophies and Euro 2020 was a disappointment, as Belgium were eliminated by eventual champions Italy in the quarter-finals. Perhaps golden generation to be remembered as bronze generation, The Spaniard is receiving more and more criticism for sticking to his untouchables; Fans look forward to seeing more experimentation and some new faces. even his attitude Mr. Brightside Some people have started getting disappointed in interviews and press conferences. He has lost a lot of credit.
position on qatar
Before the World Cup qualifier against Belarus in March 2021, Belgium came out with a packed squad of substitutes, wearing shirts adorned with the slogan: “Football supports change”, echoing the national team’s message. . less for the same dates. The Belgian Football Association also joined its German, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish counterparts, saying: “We stand actively against racism and do not ignore Qatar’s problems. We are committed to improving working conditions and human rights in Qatar. Demand stern action for In September, the Director General of the Belgian Football Federation, Pieter Bossart, said: “Belgium regrets that Qatar has won the World Cup bid” and would join England and other countries in the campaign. one loveIn which the captain will wear a bracelet with the colors of the rainbow.
national anthem
For the king, for liberty and for the law! The national anthem of Belgium is called la brabancone And, according to legend, the song was written in 1830 during the Belgian Revolution. It is attributed to a young revolutionary named Geneval, a French actor working in Belgium, who recited the lyrics eloquently during a meeting at the Aigle d’Or Café in Brussels. The music is composed by François van Campenhout and is based on a French song called L’Air des Lanciers Polonaise, The lyrics were changed to praise the kingdom in 1860 and the independence of the Netherlands in 1830. Songs exist in all three official languages (French, Dutch and German), but are not taught in school and are not known to many Belgians. In fact, politician Yves Leterme accidentally started singing marcelsaFrench national anthem when asked about the lyrics of the Belgian anthem.
cult hero of all time
When Ronaldo (Brazil) is asked to name his best teammates, he sometimes gives Luke Nilis his answer. He once said, “We played together at PSV for two and a half years.” “He always gave me great help. Always, in every game. More than [Zinedine] Zidane. When he faced the goalkeeper, he was not selfish and made sure I scored. He was incredibly generous. Nilis scored a prolific number of goals when he played for the Netherlands, but his talents were never fully recognized in Belgium, partly because he scored only 10 goals in 56 appearances for the national team. In his club he scored almost 300 runs in 475 games. His career ended when he suffered a double fracture of his right shin in his third game for Aston Villa, and because of the injury, it was feared that he might have to have his leg amputated. Beloved by football fans in Belgium, Neelis has had a tough time with injuries but now trains in the lower leagues.
world cup career
select all
Click on each selection to see its detailed information
subscribe here For our exclusive newsletter about the World Cup in Qatar.
