Ten facts about Roberto Martinez’s squad for the Euros, some of which you may not know. Which club’s academy has had the most influence? Which club has supplied the most players to the 26? How many of them have never played in the Belgian League? How many centurions are there? And how many teenagers? All… Read More »
Roberto Martinez’s men return to Brussels tonight, after an absence of eight months, to face Greece in a friendly match ahead of the 2020 Euros. There won’t be any fans in the stadium and also absent will be Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. The only certainty to start is Club Brugge’s Simon… Read More »
Last week, Marc Wilmots gave an interview to Le Soir. Asked about Belgium’s chances in the Euros, he was positive, saying that Belgium had not yet peaked and could still improve. Wiimots argued that if everyone were fit and on-form, they could win trophies. Looking back to his own time in charge of the squad,… Read More »
Youri Tielemans match-winning strike for Leicester City in the FA Cup Final on Saturday was widely praised around Europe. He’s no overnight sensation. Talented, mature and a natural leader, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise that when the 2026 World Cup comes around, his name might be one that is frequently mentioned as… Read More »
On Monday, Roberto Martinez will name a 28 man-squad (26 plus 2 reserves) for the 2020 Euros. There are unlikely to be too many surprises, with Martinez being happy to depend on the players who performed so well for him in Brazil. His main concerns are currently around two of his most experienced players, with… Read More »
The Belgian media was united in its praise for the team’s performance last night against Costa Rica. It was seen as the ideal send-off for Russia and there was universal approval for captain Eden Hazard’s display of his talents. His main lieutenants were Romelu Lukaku (two goals and an assist), the hard-working Kevin De Bruyne… Read More »
Martinez is here to stay Just before midnight on Thursday, the Belgian FA made – i.e. leaked – a shock announcement. Roberto Martinez would be extending his stay as coach of the Belgian team for a further two years. They’d previously said they would evaluate his performance only once the Russian dust had settled. Martinez… Read More »
Some time ago, Robert Martinez said he was watching 54 players who could be considered to make the trip to Russia in the summer. We can now make that 33. Martinez selected a squad of 28 selected for the friendlies with Japan and Mexico. The other five, up for serious consideration, missed out through injury:… Read More »
Belgium face Cyprus tonight in their final World Cup qualifying match. With tickets for Russia guaranteed, all eyes will be on Jan Vertonghen – who will become the most-capped Belgian international (97 caps) – and on the number of goals that Belgium score. Belgium have scored 39 so far in these qualifying rounds, while the… Read More »
Tomorrow, Roberto Martinez will announce his squad to play Gibraltar (h) and Greece (a). The focus is likely to be on whether he’ll call up Eden Hazard who is just returning to fitness after injury but has not yet played this season. My feeling is that Martinez will not be calling up that particular Hazard.… Read More »