Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne launched an angry tirade against his teammates after his side were beaten 2-0 away to France in their Nations League clash on Monday.
“I give up, I give up,” De Bruyne repeatedly told Belgian Football Federation sporting director Franky Vercauteren after the loss at Lyon, then stormed off. Mr. Vercauteren held him back, covered his mouth and said something encouraging.
Not for the first time, De Bruyne was visibly frustrated during the Group A2 match and afterwards told Belgian VTM television too many things had gone wrong in the game.
“I can’t say here what went wrong. I already did that to the team at half-time,” he said. “I cannot repeat that in the media, but it has to be better in every way. If the standard we want to reach is the best, but we’re no longer good enough to get to that level, then you have to give everything. If you don’t even do that, it’s over.”
France beat Belgium 1-0 in their last meeting with considerably more at stake in the round of 16 of the European Championship this summer. And De Bruyne echoed a similar sentiment on Monday as he did after their Euro exit in Germany.
“I can accept that we’re not as good as in 2018,” the 33-year-old De Bruyne said of the side that reached the World Cup semifinals in Russia. “I was the first to see that, but other things are unacceptable. I’m not going to say what.”
France overcame a slow start to redeem themselves after a 3-1 loss to Italy on Friday, as Randal Kolo Muani’s close-range strike and Ousmane Dembele’s left-foot drive handed them their first points of their Nations League campaign.
And when De Bruyne was pressed in the interview as to what went wrong, he did point out one problem.
“We are too many at the back. If you stay with six at the back, there is no connection,” said the Manchester City playmaker. “It is what it is. It is not about transition, but about people who do not perform their tasks.”
Coach Domenico Tedesco said he understood De Bruyne’s anger.
“He is our captain and has a huge winning mentality, so he can also react emotionally,” the coach said.
Although it was not clear which Belgian player was not dedicated, De Bruyne was still criticized for his uncaptain-like attitude.
Coach Domenico Tedesco added: “But De Bruyne cannot say that after a match, of course we are all disappointed, but we have to let the anger subside before saying anything.”
De Bruyne’s teammate in the Belgium national team from 2010-2022, centre-back Toby Alderweireld, was also unhappy with the current captain’s behavior. “As captain, I will always protect my teammates,” the 35-year-old centre-back added.
“Of course De Bruyne can react like that in the dressing room, without the public knowing. But this must have made many Belgian players uneasy.”
