A public goal is not an exhibition game against Burkina Faso. Certainly not without the biggest stars of the Red Devils. And so the King Baudouin Stadium exceptionally keeps its doors closed. Our national team plays today in the Lotto Park of Anderlecht.
The stadium with 21,500 seats – much less than the 50,000 in the Heysel – is cozier with a lower attendance. The proximity of the training center in Tubize is also a big plus.
In addition, it had been a remarkably long time since the national team once again settled in Anderlecht. 2006 to be exact. In the meantime, the Red Devils did pass in Leuven, Ghent, Bruges, Genk and Liège, among others.
The last passage in Anderlecht took place on October 11, 2006. The Devils then beat Azerbaijan 3-0, but the only other match in the Astridpark this century – a few weeks earlier – brings back less pleasant memories.
In the then Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, the Devils started the qualifying campaign for the European Championship 2008 with a hard false note.
Against the tiny Kazakhstan, Belgium did not go further than 0-0. The fact that national coach René Vandereycken started with six defenders brought him a lot of criticism. To make matters worse, “home player” Vincent Kompany also injured his adductors after more than half an hour when a shot on target.
A black page in our football history.
The basic eleven of the Red Devils against Kazakhstan
Stijn Stijnen, Vincent Kompany (38′ Stein Huysegems), Daniel Van Buyten, Jelle Van Damme (60′ Luigi Pieroni), Thomas Vermaelen, Carl Hoefkens (74′), Timmy Simons, Karel Geraerts, Mousa Dembélé, Bart Goor, Thomas Buffel .
Well, for most players in the current squad, the match against Kazakhstan is nothing more than a vague memory of bad times.
For many, Anderlecht equals coming home. Of the current selection, no fewer than 14 of the 26 players have a history with Purple & White. If Jérémy Doku hadn’t left injured, there would have been 15. The list?
Bornauw, Denayer, Dendoncker, Faes, Januzaj, Kaminski, Mangala, Roef, Saelemaekers, Lokonga, Sels, Tielemans, Van der Heyden, Verschaeren.
Of the group with purple and white blood, only 9 ever played for the A-team. Denayer, Faes, Januzaj, Mangala and Van der Heyden only defended the colors in the youth.
