Belgian journalists are surprised by the weak performance of the Belgian national team and call this match a failure for the coaching staff, leading players, and football federation officials. They note the disappointment of Thibaut Courtois, who clearly did not imagine his return to the national team this way. Some journalists urge fans to forget about the so-called “golden generation” and finally realize that these players can no longer achieve any significant results. After the departure of Courtois, De Bruyne, and Lukaku, the team will turn into an ordinary mid-tier side, for whom qualifying for the Euros or the World Cup will already be a serious achievement.
Sporza
“Courtois’ disappointing return,” - a journalist from the popular publication Sporza offers an unusual perspective: experiencing this match through the lens of the long-awaited return of the renowned goalkeeper, who could not become a hero, only retrieving the ball from the back of the net.
“This was not the return he dreamed of. Thibaut Courtois had to turn around at least three times in fifteen minutes after returning as a Red Devil. Of course, it’s not his fault, but it didn’t make the evening any less painful. Quickly forgetting about this and hoping for a world-class match from his team on Sunday? That’s all the renowned goalkeeper has left.
Thibaut Courtois rarely felt such tension before visiting a third division team’s stadium. But in magical Murcia, that time finally came. No more talks and predictions, time for real action: he celebrated his return to the lineup of the “Red Devils” after 2 years.
And he would still have been in the spotlight— even without any outstanding saves or conceded goals. Because while all the opponents would be looking for mistakes with a magnifying glass, fans of his return wanted to be able to instantly say: see, he was needed.
Thibaut’s father, Thierry, also watched the game from the stands, having flown in from Belgium specifically. You should know: Courtois Sr. meticulously tracks his son’s statistics in an Excel file, as he does not trust modern statisticians.
Thierry was also immediately allowed to enter a few lines into another column. Because after Courtois performed the national anthem, he had to get to work almost immediately.
At first, the goalkeeper reacted carefully to a long pass. Then he had to work for the first time when Tsyhankov took the first shot. Without any problems. The sixth minute passed before Courtois had to show up for the third time. And now it was a serious moment. When Yaremchuk tried to score from close range, the number one had to show his reflexes.
However, after this half hour of inactivity, he quickly re-emerged as one of the team’s leaders. The whistle for halftime sounded in Murcia, and immediately a trio was formed: Lukaku - De Bruyne - Courtois. During an emergency meeting, they all went into the tunnel together. As if deciding how to play in the second half.
Silently, Courtois may have dreamed of once again proving himself as a leader after the break by making several top saves. This request was clearly heard by Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Ukrainian sent a shot toward our team’s number one, but Courtois just watched as the ball hit the post. Phew, a clean sheet still seemed possible then.
At least for a while. Because, when faced with Hutsulyak, Courtois didn’t even have enough time to close in on the Ukrainian in order not to concede at the near post. Even though everyone looked at De Keeper and De Winter after that blunder, Courtois was the most disappointed. No warm welcome gift from his defensive partners.
This was the beginning of a sad end. The big plan of the disheartened and defenseless Courtois, after the Ukrainians won 2:1, said more than 1000 words. He found himself in a dead-end situation once again.
And at that moment, he didn’t even know that a third goal would also land in his net. This was not the return he had dreamed of. Courtois’ father’s Excel file now contains 103 international matches, but the column for the 52nd clean sheet remains empty for now.”
Voetbal Krant
“A dramatic debut for Garcia: a heavy defeat to Ukraine and a tough task on Sunday.” A journalist from the Voetbal Krant website writes that the Ukrainian national team unpleasantly surprised the Belgians, who clearly did not expect their opponents to turn the game around in the second half. He notes the unpleasant defensive mistakes and the less than optimal tactical decisions of coach Rudi Garcia.
“The head coach Garcia dramatically debuted with the ‘Red Devils’. Belgium lost the lead and lost to Ukraine 1:3 in the first playoff match of the Nations League after a disastrous second half.
Garcia shocked when he fielded De Winter and Mechele in the center of defense, while Tielemans received support from Debast in midfield. The match started well for the Ukrainians, who pushed the Belgians back in the first minutes. The result was a wonderful attack, but Yaremchuk’s shot was too close to the center, and Courtois, making his return, deflected the shot.
Five minutes before halftime, the Belgians scored the first goal. De Bruyne delivered a cross right to Lukaku’s head, who sent the ball into the net. After the break, the game continued at a slow pace. De Bruyne twice shot at Lunín’s goal from distance, but both times the goalkeeper saved the shot. Towards the end of the hour of play, the ‘Red Devils’ were shocked when Zinchenko almost converted an excellent free kick. Courtois could only watch as the ball hit the post.
This was like a warning, as just five minutes later the score flashed 1:1 on the scoreboard. Following a silly loss of possession by De Winter, Hutsulyak broke free with the ball and outwitted Courtois. The fans fully supported them in their desire to win the match, and the Ukrainians pressed the gas pedal, leaving the ‘Red Devils’ to endure for the rest of the game. Therefore, it cannot be said that Ukraine’s advance 70 minutes into the match was undeserved. Debast allowed Vanat to run behind him. The Ukrainian easily scored a goal and now the score was already 2:1.
Garcia made a double substitution: De Bruyne and De Ketelaere left, replaced by Vanaken and Lukebakio. This did not help. For the Belgians, everything fell apart in the 78th minute when Zabarnyi scored, making the score 3:1. Courtois might have envisioned his return differently. But even this result can be called fortunate, as the Ukrainians continued to create moments and could have scored more.
In the return match on Sunday, the ‘Red Devils’ face a tough task. Rudi Garcia’s task is clear: win by a margin of 3 goals, maintain a place in Division A of the Nations League, and above all, regain the trust of the fans.”
HLN
“Stop calling Belgium a top team!” - the leading journalist of HLN could not bear such disgrace and called everyone to stop considering Belgians a strong team capable of claiming any serious achievements.
“Rudi Garcia immediately understands that he is not at a resort but in a rehabilitation unit. That this is not a team that can simply go out on the field and defeat a serious opponent. Let’s finally say it out loud and be honest with each other: stop calling Belgium a top team! Our country is no longer on the list of teams considered favorites in any tournaments. Our team is no longer favored even in matches against national teams like Ukraine. Teams that are themselves experiencing difficulties. Let’s just stop talking about Belgium as a team that should beat anyone. At whose expense? At the expense of superior player quality? That’s long gone. At the expense of the individual skill of our leaders? That is already in the past. We are changing coaches, bringing veterans back to the national team, but we are afraid to admit that Belgium is no longer the team that once delighted us with bright play.
Ukraine deservedly won with a score of 3:1. A score that doesn’t even reflect what was happening on the field! We once again witnessed all the chronic ailments of the Belgian national team. The lack of connection between players. Incorrect coaching decisions. The absence of a real replacement for those who already want to go into retirement. Even with Courtois in goal, we cannot oppose Ukraine, which could score again and again. And this is not a coincidence or a tragedy. It’s just a new reality that we should come to terms with.”
