World Cup in Qatar?”>Roberto Martinez spoke at length in an interview given to our colleagues at VTM. The opportunity to return to the hot news of the Devils and the announcement of the friendly match against Burkina Faso: “I wanted to see us face an opponent from another continent. For this gathering, I will only call players less than 50 selections. I estimate that they will represent 50% of the selection for the World Cup so it is important to see them at work. On the other hand, no U21 who does not yet have a cape with the Devils does not will be recalled. The Under-21s game in Denmark is too important in the context of qualifying for the European Championship.”
Asked about Lukaku’s poor form and Witsel’s decline in the Dortmund hierarchy, the coach is not worried: “What worries me is rather the summer transfer window which can bring uncertainty to those who will choose change of scenery. This transfer window could represent an important moment in the career of a boy like Charles De Ketelaere, for example. But we must also remember that we can continue to progress by remaining faithful to our club, as Hans Vanaken has proven this in particular.”
We understand that Roberto Martinez would appreciate that most of his Devils avoid a transfer a few weeks before the World Cup. In the meantime, the Spaniard has made sure to strengthen his staff with the arrivals of Thomas Vermaelen and Anthony Barry: “Thomas took the coaching course in a foreign language, that says a lot about his desire to succeed as coach. His experience will be important for Qatar. It’s the same for Anthony Barry. After the departure of Shaun Maloney, I felt the need to bring reinforcements. Not so much for the rally in March but especially in view of the World Cup.”
