Mark van Bommel defended the Belgium national team’s performance following a defeat to France in Paris, insisting that the scoreline did not reflect a ridiculous display from the Red Devils, while highlighting the team’s ability to compete. Mark van Bommel Remains Confident Despite Belgium’s 4-1 Collapse Against France as the team dropped to the third place in their group after the reverse. Van Bommel noted that his side showed good things and scored a world-class goal between the pass and the finish, adding that they could have also scored like that in the first leg played in Brussels, where he claimed without exaggeration that his team should have won because they created enough chances.
The match saw the Red Devils collapse in the final quarter of an hour following a 4-1 defeat. Despite the score, Van Bommel chose to focus on the positives, noting that his side defended very well before France brought on very strong players who accelerated the pace late in the game. He pointed out that the team could lose against France, who reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup, and expressed that when he sees the way the squad trains, he finds it a pity that the match ended that way. Furthermore, the coach stated that he was very happy with his players, that none of them disappointed him, and that thankfully there were no injuries.
Van Bommel Defends Energy-Heavy Philosophy for Future Growth
Addressing questions about whether his energy-heavy philosophy is too demanding, Van Bommel acknowledged that it requires energy, but maintained that a precise idea is necessary to beat top countries. He noted that Belgium is currently a country behind others in strength, but emphasized that the team is building toward the future with an eye on the European Championship in two years, expressing confidence that his players will continue to improve and that the team can eventually maintain the same rhythm for the full ninety minutes. “On ne va pas laisser tomber les deux prochains matches dans cette compétition. Le but, c’est de briller à l’Euro. La Ligue des Nations est une étape vers ce grand tournoi. Ce ne sont pas des matches amicaux,” stated the coach. Regarding Romelu Lukaku’s surprising start, Van Bommel explained that he chose to launch him in that fixture and that it could have happened earlier, noting that the forward played a fantastic match and that he could have even left him on the pitch a little longer.
Looking Ahead to November Matches
Belgium will face Italy and Turkey in November as the Nations League group stage concludes. Van Bommel noted that winning those fixtures could send the team into the quarterfinals, though the ultimate ambition remains centered on the tournament in two years. Before dismissing the squad to their clubs — noting that the players would sometimes receive a day off — the coach instructed his players to stay fit ahead of the upcoming short week of international matches and confirmed that the team will resume using this tactical system starting in November.
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