De Bruyne on a verge of quitting Belgium duty

The golden generation didn't quite make it to gold, but in 2018 they did secure a bronze medal in Russia. Back then, it seemed like Belgium had a roster as deep as that of France or England. Courtois, Kompany, Vertonghen, Witsel, De Bruyne, Hazard, Carrasco, Lukaku, Mertens, Meunier... there wasn't a weak spot. Today, that's no longer the case, and judging by the statements of captain Kevin De Bruyne, things are only going to get worse.

After (another) defeat from France, in which Belgium could have scored two goals inside the first 20 minutes, but were eventually defeated through counterattacks, De Bruyne was seen talking to the technical director Frank Vercauteren, apparently saying 'I quit', before embarking on an extraordinary post-match outburst.

“There's not much to say about it. We were six at the back. There was no connection. Not even in the second half. You're behind, right? I wonder what you see in the match. It is not about transitions. It is about the way of playing and people who do not do their job. It has to be better in every way. The standard is the top. If you can't handle the top, you're not good enough. And then you have to give everything on the field. Even that is not done by some. I can accept that we are not that good. I am also the first to say that in the past. But other things are unacceptable. I am not going to dwell on it. I did that when I was eighteen at Racing Genk. Now I am 33 and I don't do that anymore“ he said.

Mbappe-less France dismantles Belgium again

Such a post-match explosive rant was immediately used as a material for the head coach Domenico Tedesco. But he tried to calm things down, quite understandebly.

“I didn't see the interview. After the huddle, I spoke to Kevin. Am I afraid that he's going to stop playing international? You shouldn't talk about that now. Everyone needs to calm down. You know, it's normal that he's disappointed. We all are. Kevin is a winner. He was emotional. And then you can say things like that sometimes. Am I afraid that he's going to stop playing international? You shouldn't talk about that now. Everyone needs to calm down“ said Tedesco.

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE - GROUP STAGE

Tue 21:45: (1.63) Hungary (3.80) B&H (5.70)

Tue 21:45: (2.60) Netherlands (3.70) Germany (2.70)

Tue 21:45: (2.40) Czech R. (3.35) Ukraine (2.95)

Tue 21:45: (2.75) R.Ireland (2.95) Greece (2.85)

Tue 21:45: (2.55) Albania (3.10) Georgia (2.95)

Tue 21:45: (1.13) England (8.50) Finland (19.0)

Tue 19:00: (2.10) Latvia (3.20) Faroe I. (3.80)

Tue 21:45: (1.95) Macedonia (3.45) Armenia (4.00)

Tue 21:45: (3.50) Andorra (2.85) Malta (2.40)