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Martinez given backing by Belgian FA but told lessons must be learned

6646776 08.09.2021 Belgium s head coach Roberto Martinez reacts during the World Cup qualifying soccer match between Belarus and Belgium, in Kazan, Russia s Republic of Tatarstan. Maksim Bogodvid / Sputnik Russia Soccer World Cup 2022 Qualifiers Belarus - Belgium PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY 61e43d7dbfb05b51

Roberto Martinez retains the full support of the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) but has been told lessons must be learned from Belgium’s disappointing Nations League Finals campaign.

Belgium let a two-goal half-time lead slip in last week’s 3-2 defeat to France in the semi-finals and followed that up with a 2-1 loss at the hands of European champions Italy in the third-place play-off on Sunday.

The Red Devils are on course to finish the year as FIFA’s top-ranked national side for the fourth time running, but their ‘golden generation’ of players have still yet to win any silverware.

Martinez could only guide Belgium to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, having previously finished third at the 2018 World Cup (they were also beaten by Italy and France respectively in those tournaments), but the Spaniard – who has been strongly linked with replacing Ronald Koeman at Barcelona – is not at risk of being sacked.

However, RBFA chief executive Peter Bossaert accepts that the second-half display against France cannot be repeated if Belgium are to have any chance of ending their wait for a trophy.

“Roberto is still the right man for the job,” Bossaert told La Derniere Heure. “We still support him 100 per cent. But we have to learn from the game against France, in which we played our best half of football and worst half in a long time.

“I’m going to ask some people for advice, but I’m not going to create a commission or a committee. I also don’t want too many people giving their opinions because then there will be too many differing opinions.”

Belgium are top of their World Cup 2022 qualifying group with 16 points from six matches and return to action on November 13 with a home game against Estonia.

Martinez agrees with Bossaert that Belgium were not good enough during the Nations League Finals, even if there were some positives to take away from the mini-tournament.

“We cannot concede five goals in two games and we cannot concede two penalties, even if the decisions were not correct,” he said.

“But the way we reacted to going behind against Italy, after what had happened in the France game, I thought the team had a real strong personality to keep playing.”

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PLAYERS AREN’T ROBOTS, WE NEED REST – COURTOIS BLAST FIFA, UEFA

Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has launched a scathing criticism of UEFA and FIFA for scheduling more and more matches at the expense of player welfare.

Courtois hit out at the growing football calendar after his side’s 2-1 defeat by Italy in the UEFA Nations’ League third-place play-off on Sunday, labelling the match, in which both teams rotated their squads, a “money game”.

“We are not robots. It’s just more and more games and less rest for us and nobody cares about us. When will we get a rest? Never,” Courtois said.

The football calendar has been squeezed in the last 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Champions League and many of the continent’s top leagues taking place in shorter spaces of time but with the same amount of matches.

The European Championship and Copa America were both held at the end of the gruelling season and there is to be no let up in the near future.

Next year’s World Cup takes place between November and December — in the middle of the club season — while the Nations League finals will be held in June 2023.

FIFA, meanwhile, wishes to hold an expanded Club World Cup and its head of Global Football Development, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, has outlined proposals for a biennial World Cup.

“Next year we have a World Cup in November, we have to play maybe until the latter stages of June again. We will get injured,” added Courtois.

“So in the end top players will get injured and injured and injured. It’s something that should be much better and much more taken care of.”

UEFA has opposed the plan for more frequent World Cups and the proposed European Super League, but Courtois said the European organising body was not interested in player welfare either as they too keep adding to the fixture calendar.

“They are against Super League but they just do the same, they put extra games. They made an extra trophy, (Europa Conference League). It is always the same,” added the Belgian.

“They can be angry about other teams wanting a Super League but they don’t care about the players, they just care about their pockets.”

UEFA did not immediately respond to comments from Courtois.

The Nations League was launched in 2018 with the aim of offering more competitive matches for the continent’s teams instead of international friendlies.

The Europa Conference League, which began this season, was created to increase the number of teams of UEFA member nations playing into the later stages of European competition.

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ITALY EDGE BELGIUM 2-1 TO FINISH THIRD IN NATIONS LEAGUE

Nicolo Barella’s thunderous strike and a penalty converted by Domenico Berardi proved enough to earn hosts Italy a 2-1 victory over Belgium on Sunday and third place in this year’s Nations League.

It offered some consolation for the European champions, whose semifinal loss to Spain in Milan on Wednesday ended their world-record 37-match unbeaten run.

They returned to winning ways as Barella volleyed a poor corner clearance into the net one minute into the second half and Berardi added the second from the spot in the 65th minute, after Timothy Castagne had brought down the tricky Federico Chiesa.

Belgium claimed a consolation in the 86th minute when substitute Charles De Ketelaere finished off a quick counterattack.

Belgium, who were without Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku and only brought on Kevin De Bruyne in the second half, hit the woodwork three times but were outplayed for large portions of the contest by the hosts at the Juventus Stadium.

“Today we played very well, we were excellent. We have different solutions and quality in midfield, today they did well,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini told RAI television.

Early chances for Berardi and Giacomo Raspadori were dealt with by the Belgium defence before Alexis Saelemaekers, who plays in Serie A with AC Milan, slammed a shot against Italy’s crossbar in the 28th minute.

But immediately after the break, Belgium fell behind to Barella’s snap effort, cleanly hit after a clearing header from a corner fell perfectly into his path.

Michy Batshuayi then had an effort come back off the woodwork as Belgium came close to a 60th minute equaliser but fell 2-0 behind when Castagne mistimed a tackle on Chiesa to offer Italy a chance to extend their lead from the penalty spot. Berardi’s kick squeezed past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Toby Alderweireld then proved an unlikely attacking threat with two efforts that brought out fine stops from Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma before Yannick Carrasco smashed a curling shot against the Italian post in the final 10 minutes.

Courtois’ quick clearance set up Belgium’s goal with De Bruyne passing to the youthful De Ketelaere to squeeze it past Donnarumma from close range, but it came too late to offer a dramatic finish to the game.

“We had a lot of younger players today and they did decently,” De Bruyne said. “It was good for them to play against a team of Italy’s quality.”

France and Spain meet in the Nations League final in Milan later on Sunday.

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ITALY OUTSHINES FAVORITES BELGIUM TO REACH EURO 2020 SEMI-FINAL

Lorenzo Insigne fired Italy into the Euro 2020 semi-finals as perennial favourites Belgium were once again cast in the role of bridesmaid.

The Napoli frontman’s sumptuous 44th-minute strike ultimately settled a thrilling heavyweight battle in Munich and booked the Italians a last-four showdown with Spain at Wembley.

FIFA’s number one-ranked side once again exited a major tournament without the prize they crave.

Nicolo Barella had fired Roberto Mancini’s side into a 31st-minute lead which Insigne doubled and, although Romelu Lukaku’s penalty in first-half stoppage time had given the Belgians hope, they could not get themselves back on level terms.

Italy extended their unbeaten run to 32 games and became the first team to win 15 consecutive European Championship matches.

After a cagey start, Italy thought they had taken a 13th-minute lead when defender Leonardo Bonucci bundled home a free-kick, although a VAR check ruled the goal out.

It then took a superb save by Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny Kevin De Bruyne nine minutes later after he had broken at pace and cut inside before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot which the keeper clawed away at full stretch.

Donnarumma had to be equally resilient four minutes later to repel Lukaku’s curling attempt after De Bruyne had sprinted from his own half and sent him in on goal.

Italy’s response was concerted with Federico Chiesa starting to make an impression, but it was Inter Milan midfielder Barella who broke the deadlock with 14 minutes of the first half remaining.

He collected Marco Verratti’s pass and shifted the ball on to his right foot before thumping it past the helpless Thibaut Courtois.

Courtois was beaten for a second time within three minutes when Insigne stroked an arcing attempt beyond his despairing dive, but the deficit was halved in stoppage time.

Eden Hazard’s 19-year-old replacement Jeremy Doku went down in the box under Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s challenge and Lukaku blasted home the resulting spot-kick to keep his side in the contest.

The Italians did not seem unduly concerned by the setback as they resumed after the break very much on the front foot with Chiesa once again prominent, but with Doku’s pace a constant threat on the counter.

It was he who played De Bruyne into space to cross for Lukaku at the far post with 61 minutes gone, but as the striker waited for the net to bulge, full-back Leonardo Spinazzola made a vital block.

Spinazzola might have increased Italy’s lead had he been able to make meaningful contact with Insigne’s cross at the other end five minutes later, but his night ended prematurely when he was carried from the field on a stretcher with a muscle injury.

Roberto Martinez’s men laid siege to the Italian box as time ran down, but there was no way back as Donnarumma and his defence held commendably firm.

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EURO 2020: THORGAN HAZARD STUNNER DUMP PORTUGAL, SENDS BELGIUM TO LAST EIGHT

A rocket from Thorgan Hazard knocked reigning champions Portugal out of Euro 2020 on Sunday and earned Belgium a blockbuster quarter-final with Italy.

Hazard’s swerving shot before half-time sealed a 1-0 win for Belgium and settled a scrappy contest in Seville that never really lived up to its billing as the stand-out tie of the last 16.

But it could prove a statement victory for Belgium, whose chief concern now will be the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, who both hobbled off injured and will undergo scans on Monday.

De Bruyne suffered an ankle injury while coach Roberto Martinez said Hazard’s problem was “more of a muscle feeling”.

Cristiano Ronaldo tested Thibaut Courtois with a dipping free-kick in the first half but the 36-year-old neither broke the international goals record nor added to his five for the tournament.

Raphael Guerreiro went closest to a late equaliser when his shot came back off the post, one of 29 shots Portugal had, six of them on target.

But before the late rally, Belgium were the braver, more fluid team and Martinez hailed his side’s fighting spirit to hold on.

“We showed our talent in the first half and in the second half we showed an aspect that wasn’t there two or three years ago,” said Martinez. “This is what a winning team needs.”

For all the superstar names on the pitch, it was Eden Hazard’s less heralded brother Thorgan who proved decisive, the Borussia Dortmund winger who Eden once said had even more talent than him.

“In these games if you have a chance you have to have a go,” Thorgan said. “It went in, with a bit of luck and it was the goal that got us through. It’s a dream for me.”

Portugal, meanwhile, stuck to the defensive approach that served them so well in France five years ago but has perhaps been outgrown by a side that now boasts some of the most creative technicians in the world.

“I think it’s an unfair result but they scored and we didn’t,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.

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EURO 2020: BELGIUM BREAKDOWN STUBBORN FINLAND TO MAINTAIN PERFECT START

An own goal from Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and a smart Romelu Lukaku finish sent Belgium into the last 16 of Euro 2020 with a perfect record from Group B after a 2-0 win in St Petersburg.

The Finns had fought an increasingly desperate rearguard action in the hunt for the point they hoped would prove enough to seal qualification but were ultimately left to almost certainly exit the tournament.

Thomas Vermaelen’s 73rd minute header from a corner struck a post before dropping over the line after striking the hand of the unfortunate Hradecky, who had earlier kept his side in the game.

And Belgium consigned the Finns to their fate in the 81st minute after a clinical turn and shot in the box by Lukaku, making up for an earlier effort that had been ruled out by VAR.

The Belgians eased into the game secure in the knowledge they had already done enough to progress, but despite making eight changes boss Roberto Martinez kept most of his big guns involved.

Unsurprisingly, they dominated the early stages, but apart from a couple of early attempts by Lukaku to muscle his way towards goal, the well-organised Finnish defence held firm.

It took half-an-hour for Belgium to have their first real chance when the ball fell to Axel Witsel on the edge of the box, only for the midfielder to spoon his effort way over the bar.

Lukaku should have done better in the 37th minute when he was sent through by a brilliantly incisive lofted pass by Kevin De Bruyne but fired his low shot straight at Hradecky.

Hradecky stretched brilliantly to deny 19-year-old Jeremy Doku shortly before the break as the Finns headed for the interval still in pole position for a place in the last 16.

Stacking all 11 men behind the ball, the Finns looked increasingly confident and even managed a rare shot on target just past the hour-mark when Rangers’ Glen Kamara shot straight at Thibaut Courtois.

Hradecky saved his side once more in the 63rd minute when he denied Eden Hazard and two minutes later Lukaku blasted past the keeper, only to have his effort ruled marginally offside after a lengthy delay.

But Vermaelen’s header provided the crucial breakthrough for the Belgians and Lukaku’s clinical finish left Finland, who ended the group in third place on three points, hoping for a mathematical miracle if they are to avoid an early trip home.

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EURO 2020: DE BRUYNE LEADS BELGIUM TO COMEBACK WIN OVER DENMARK

Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench to fire Belgium into the last 16 with a comeback victory over Denmark on an emotional night in Copenhagen.

Playing for the first time since suffering facial fractures during the Champions League final, the Manchester City playmaker set up Thorgan Hazard’s 55th-minute equaliser and then clinched a 2-1 Group B win with a stunning finish 20 minutes from time.

Five days after midfielder Christian Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest on the same Parken Stadium pitch, Yussuf Poulsen fired the Danes into an early lead as FIFA’s number one-ranked team were outplayed until De Bruyne arrived to light up proceedings.

Kasper Hjulmand’s men could hardly have got off to a better start when they took the lead with less than two minutes gone.

Jason Denayer’s careless pass out of defence was picked off by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and when he fed Poulsen, the striker smashed a low shot across keeper Thibaut Courtois and inside the far post.

Courtois found himself in the thick of action early on, diving at the feet of wing-back Joakim Maehle and then fielding Daniel Wass’ header back across goal inside the opening six minutes with Belgium in uncharacteristic disarray.

Play stopped briefly as the clocked ticked around to 10 – the shirt number worn by Eriksen – as the players of both sides and officials joined the spectators in a moving moment’s applause for the Inter Milan midfielder.

Belgium simply could not force their way into the game as they repeatedly squandered possession to leave Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel untested, and Courtois was relieved to see Eriksen’s replacement Mikkel Damsgaard curl a 35th-minute effort just past the upright.

Roberto Martinez sent on De Bruyne as a half-time substitute in a desperate search for inspiration – he was soon to be followed by Axel Witsel and Eden Hazard – and the move paid dividends within 10 minutes.

Romelu Lukaku ran away from the Danish defence before squaring for De Bruyne, who expertly dummied his way into space before rolling the ball into the path of the fast-arriving Thorgan Hazard to thump into the net.

But it was his sumptuous 70th-minute strike, which flew past the helpless Schmeichel and into the bottom corner, which ultimately won the day and maintained the Red Devils’ perfect start.

Martin Braithwaite might have rescued a point three minutes from time, but saw his header from substitute Andreas Skov Olsen’s cross clip the crossbar and run away to safety.

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Romelu Lukaku to rescue as Belgium salvages draw vs Czech Republic

Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, took his tally to 59 goals in 91 international matches after Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliant assist.

Romelu Lukaku extended his impressive scoring record with Belgium to salvage a 1-1 draw against Czech Republic in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday as FIFA’s top-ranked team was lucky to escape with a point.

Facing an inspired Czech team which hit the woodwork twice, Belgium struggled defensively and conceded early in the second half. Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, then took his tally to 59 goals in 91 international matches after Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliant assist.

Both Belgium and Czech Republic had won their opening games in Group E.

Playing without Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Meunier and Thorgan Hazard — who were not authorized to make the trip to Prague because of German quarantine rules — Belgium dominated possession in an entertaining first half but the hosts had the better chances.

The Czechs missed four Bundesliga players because of the virus restrictions in Germany, including their first-choice goalkeeper, but it did not show.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced into a first save in the 14th minute and forward Michael Krmencík came close a few minutes later as he cut inside past Jason Denayer and drove a precise left-footed shot only to find the woodwork. The visitors responded with a fine effort from Leander Dendoncker which was denied by Tomas Vaclík with a one-handed save.

The hosts deservedly took the lead in the 50th minute when Lukas Provod was given too much space near the area — with Dendoncker and Denayer both too slow to move forward — and he unleashed a long-range strike into the far corner.

Belgium was handed another blow soon after when Dries Mertens left the field injured. But the visitors came back into the game following an inspired contribution from De Bruyne. Close to the halfway line, the Manchester City playmaker sent a long ball between two Czech players to find Lukaku near the box. The Inter striker evaded his marker and found the net with a left-footed shot between Vaclik’s legs.

De Bruyne then missed the chance to give Belgium the lead when he hit the right post. The hosts continued to push until the very end and had two big chances before the final whistle — first with an effort from Jan Boril that finished on the crossbar and then a goal-bound header from Tomas Soucek which was thwarted by defender Toby Alderweireld.

Earlier, Belarus twice came from behind to kick off its World Cup qualification campaign with a 4-2 win over 10-man Estonia, which slumped to a second consecutive loss following a 6-2 rout at the hands of the Czechs midweek.

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KEVIN DE BRUYNE STARS AS BELGIUM SEE OF WALES

Wales suffered an opening defeat in their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign as Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliance proved the difference in a 3-1 win for Belgium in Leuven.

Harry Wilson stunned Belgium with a superbly-crafted 10th-minute goal, but the star-studded hosts were soon ahead as De Bruyne fired home from distance and then played a major part as Thorgan Hazard’s header gave them the lead.

Romelu Lukaku sealed victory for Group E favourites Belgium with a 73rd-minute penalty after Chris Mepham had needlessly brought down Dries Mertens.

Without manager Ryan Giggs, who has denied an allegation of assault, Wales faced what is on paper the most difficult challenge in international football – an away game with Belgium.

The Red Devils top the FIFA world rankings and entered World Cup qualifying unbeaten in competitive home matches since losing to Germany in September 2010.

Belgium also had the incentive of avenging their Euro 2016 quarter-final loss to Wales, a defeat which cost Roberto Martinez’s predecessor Marc Wilmots his job.

Seven players remained from that game in Lille – Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier, Toby Alderweireld, De Bruyne and Lukaku for Belgium and Wales pair Joe Allen and Gareth Bale – as the two countries met for the sixth time in the last decade.

Wales were unbeaten in the last four meetings and caretaker boss Robert Page welcomed Allen back into the international fold.

The Stoke midfielder ruptured an Achilles tendon 12 months ago and had not played for Wales since November 2019.

Liverpool teenager Neco Williams also came into the side following November’s Nations League win over Finland, while Belgium’s major team news centred around Lukaku.

The former Manchester United striker had arrived late in camp following a coronavirus outbreak at his club Inter Milan. But Lukaku started and his presence encapsulated the size of the visitors’ task with his 57 international goals from 89 games being one more than the entire Wales squad.

Both sides took the knee before kick-off and Wales suffered an early blow as Allen’s international return lasted only seven minutes, an apparent hamstring injury ending his night prematurely.

But Wales were quickly ahead as a slick one-touch passing move opened up the Belgium defence. Bale fed the final pass into the stride of Wilson, who claimed his fifth international goal with aplomb.

Youri Tielemans’ shot was deflected wide and Lukaku somehow steered De Bruyne’s brilliant cross over the bar from two yards out as Belgium settled to their task.

De Bruyne continually drifted into dangerous positions and Wales were punished after 22 minutes when the Manchester City midfielder was allowed space to unleash a 25-yard shot, which flew in off a post.

Belgium continued to press and took the lead six minutes later as De Bruyne set up Meunier to cross from the right.

Connor Roberts slipped on the difficult surface and Hazard sent a powerful header past Danny Ward in the Wales goal.

Hazard sent another shot over and Wales were relieved to hear the half-time whistle still in the contest.

There was more intent about Wales after the interval as Bale almost tricked his way through a packed home defence before the Wales captain’s audacious overhead kick fell wide.

Daniel James was also off-target twice as Belgium sat back with almost half an eye on Saturday’s trip to the Czech Republic.

But the result was put beyond doubt as Lukaku’s spot-kick confirmed Wales’ first defeat in 12 competitive matches and left the Dragons playing catch-up in World Cup qualification.

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UNL: BELGIUM. ITALY REACH NATIONS LEAGUE FINAL AS PHIL FODEN STARS IN ENGLAND WIN.

Romelu Lukaku extended his record scoring form and underlined his credentials as Belgium’s key attacker with a second-half double to help his team book their place in next year’s Nations League finals with a 4-2 home victory over Denmark on Wednesday, while unbeaten Italy also booked their last four berth with win over Bosnia.

Belgium, who finished five points clear at the top of League A Group 2, will meet world champions France and former World Cup winners Italy and Spain in the final four next October.

England salvaged their pride with a 4-0 demolition of 10-man Iceland in a dead rubber with Declan Rice and Mason Mount scoring in the first half and a late brace by Phil Foden to add to their team’s tally.

Also securing promotion to the top tier were Austria, Wales and Hungary from their respective groups.

The world’s number one-ranked side, Belgium only required a draw from their last League A, Group 2 game at home to Denmark behind closed doors in Leuven and took an early lead through Youri Tielemans.
Jonas Wind equalised for Denmark, but Lukaku scored double in the second-half and Kevin De Bruyne made sure of the victory for Roberto Martinez’s side after Thibaut Courtois allowed a Nacer Chadli back-pass to squirm under his leg and in for an own goal.

Italy secured first place in Group 1 with a 2-0 triumph in Sarajevo thanks to a goal in each half from Torino’s Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo.

That ensured they finished a point ahead of the Netherlands, who came from behind to beat Poland 2-1 away with captain Georginio Wijnaldum scoring the winner after Memphis Depay’s penalty cancelled out Kamil Jozwiak’s opener.

Italy and Belgium join Spain and World Cup holders France in a final tournament which is expected to be held in Italy in October next year.

Before the finals, European national teams will start their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March and then the delayed Euro 2020 is set to go ahead next June and July.

England have more than one eye on that tournament, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Wembley, and Gareth Southgate’s team rounded out their Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland.

“It was a very difficult game. All the players were hearing messages that this is meaningless and there was nothing to play for but they did play for it,” Southgate told Sky Sports.

Birkir Mar Saevarsson was sent off for Iceland who, like Bosnia, are relegated and will compete in League B in the next edition.