Dressing room rifts and claims of being too old. What went wrong for Belgium at the World Cup?
It was well documented that this year’s World Cup in Qatar was Belgium’s Golden Generation’s last crack at winning silverware. They’ve been one of the best-ranked teams in the world for a number of years now — a monumental rise to the top from the 70th place they were in little more than a decade ago — but it looks almost certain that the Red Devils have failed to make this era count.
Knocked out of this year’s World Cup in the group stages after finishing behind shock Group F table-toppers Morocco and 2018 finalists Croatia, leading to Roberto Martinez stepping down as the Belgium head coach with immediate effect (a move that was reportedly going to be taken regardless of how they performed) — all the Red Devils have to look back on from the former Everton manager’s time in charge is a bronze medal from Russia 2018.
When all is said and done and the dust settles on this lacklustre campaign, serious questions have got to be asked of the Belgium national team — not just from their dire performances in Qatar, but from their below par displays in general over the last eight years or so.
Focusing on the here and now though, it was evident that the consensus was that Belgium’s powers had already dwindled too much for them to really compete for the title in the Middle East. The Red Devils were nowhere to be seen the near the fore of the World Cup winner odds and as the days ticked by out in Qatar, it became more and more clear that they had more than just on-field issues.
Indeed, football matches are won on the pitch — which Belgium only did once in their three group games, unconvincingly beating Canada thanks to a Michy Batshuayi goal after Alphonso Davies missed the chance to give his nation the lead from the penalty spot.
But they can also be lost off it, which was arguably the case with this crop of players — as there were reports of dressing room bust-ups while key players even claimed the squad were ‘too old.’
“We’re too old. Our chance was in 2018,” Kevin De Bruyne said in a pre-tournament interview that only came during the finals themselves.
“We have a good team, but it’s ageing. We lost some key players. We have some good new players coming, but they’re not at the level other players were in 2018.”
It’s probably a fair statement from De Bruyne. The facts are there, he’s 31 and so is Eden Hazard, while the likes of Axel Witsel (33), Jan Vertonghen (35), Dries Mertens (35) and Toby Alderweireld (33) are well past their prime. But writing off your side’s chances of winning the tournament before a ball has even been kicked perhaps goes to show the attitude of the Belgian players from the start.
Then there is the reported rift between the senior players — namely Hazard and De Bruyne — after the 2-0 defeat to Morocco. Whether it’s true or not, it’s not ideal for something like that to come out just days before a must-win game against Croatia.
Maybe Belgium are too old. Maybe there was a bust-up after the game. Maybe Martinez was the wrong man to be charge of this so-called Golden Generation of talent. Maybe it’s a mixture of everything. But one way or another, Belgium capitulated in front of the entire world and will head home red-faced after this embarrassing fiasco in Qatar.
