Kevin De Bruyne Criticizes Belgium Teammates After Defeat to France

Following his team’s 2-0 Nations League loss to France, Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne did not hold back, publicly criticizing his teammates’ commitment and raising doubts about tactical choices. The 33-year-old midfielder for Manchester City acknowledged his displeasure after the game and emphasized the need for a stronger effort overall. “You have to offer everything you have if the quality we aim for is the finest but we can no longer achieve it. De Bruyne stated to Belgian TV station VTM, “If you don’t even do that, it’s over.”

A pivotal member of Belgium’s ‘golden generation,’ De Bruyne was a member of a squad that had once held the top spot in the FIFA rankings and was regarded as one of the strongest competitors in international competitions. The Belgian team, albeit talented, never made it to the championship game. Notable results include losing to France 1-0 in the World Cup semifinals of 2018, finishing in the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup, and finishing last in the European Championships.

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With Domenico Tedesco in charge, Belgium was up against bigger difficulties. Tedesco’s defensive strategy has been under scrutiny, especially in light of the Nations League loss and the defeat to France in the Euro 2024 round of 16.

Not content to just criticize effort, De Bruyne also alluded to tactical inadequacies, implying that Belgium’s defensive formation made offensive play more difficult. “We had too many at the back, which prevented any connection between the forward players,” he added.

De Bruyne made it plain that some things were still unacceptable, even though he conceded that Belgium might not be as powerful as it was in 2018. De Bruyne conceded, “I can accept that we’re not as good as we were in 2018.” Though other things are inappropriate, I was the first to notice that. I will not reveal what.

Tedesco did not chastise his captain for being vocal, saying instead that De Bruyne “has the mentality of a winner”.

“He is emotional and disappointed,” Tedesco remarked, “that’s why sometimes you can sometimes say this.”