Captain Kevin De Bruyne has left his future in the Belgian national team open after the European Championship exit against France. The Manchester City star player did not want to answer on Monday after the 0-1 defeat in the round of 16 in Düsseldorf whether the 33-year-old would continue to play for Belgium. “I have to digest this first,” said the former Wolfsburg player. “He knows how important he is,” said national coach Domenico Tedesco when asked about it. “I don’t think he needs my opinion on that.”
Reuters/Thilo Schmuelgen
Belgium also failed early at the 2022 World Cup. Under Tedesco’s predecessor Roberto Martinez, the Belgians did not make it past the preliminary round. Before that, there had been more successful, but also titleless years for Belgium. The “Red Devils” finished third in the 2018 World Cup and at least reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship in 2021.
When asked about Belgium’s “Golden Generation”, De Bruyne reacted irritably: “Who is the Golden Generation? And would you then say that France, Spain, England or Germany do not have a Golden Generation?”
