The soap after the fuss: why suddenly two other Red Devils are talking to the press (and Jan Vertonghen is not coming anyway)

A surprise tonight at 2.23 a.m. Qatari time (0.23 a.m. in Belgium). Press spokesman Stefan Van Loock sends out a message that there is a change in the press program of the Red Devils. The bench seats Arthur Theate and Yannick Carrasco were announced, two good players but not really opportune in the current context of a Red Devils selection in crisis. They would be bombarded with questions about Morocco and soon Croatia, while they are far removed from it as bench seats.

However, the change did not take place. A report in the respected French sports newspaper l’Équipe told of a serious row between Jan Vertonghen on the one hand and Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne on the other. After the lost match against Morocco. Romelu Lukaku would even have intervened to separate the parties. Otherwise it would have come to a physical confrontation. A message that was quickly picked up and checked. The Red Devils denied the story, but as is the case today, it found its way across Europe through the many communication channels. The British newspaper Daily Mail, for example, quickly came up with it. However, without checking.

Martinez

To defuse the situation, it was decided last night to let Jan Vertonghen and Eden Hazard tell their story at the press conference, after which there was another change this morning: Courtois will take Vertonghen’s place.

Experience shows that the best thing is that they just tell what happened. It seems only logical to us that there was shouting and cursing at each other after the game. That’s what national coach Roberto Martinez said yesterday.

“Emotional reactions are logical,” said the national coach. “That’s how it goes with a group of winners, with great personalities. They are in the dressing room of the biggest clubs in the world. There is also tension there after a defeat. So I can understand the reactions.”

On the contrary, it would be even more disturbing that such a defeat should be met with resignation. Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard will speak to the journalists at 13:00 Belgian time to report that the players have ironed out all the folds and hopefully also tell the story honestly. Then that page can be turned with a real focus on Croatia.