Ahead of their opening UEFA Euro group match against Slovakia, Belgium’s midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne spoke to the UEFA website, vowing to lead his team in silencing doubters through their performance.
On Belgium’s Euro mindset:
De Bruyne: It’s great to be here finally. You don’t want to spend too much time in the preparation stage; you just wish the games would start sooner. I think we need a good start in our first match, qualify smoothly from the group, and then we’ll see what happens next. Everything is still far away, so speculating about what might happen later doesn’t make sense.
On reaching 100 caps for Belgium:
De Bruyne: I’m very proud (of reaching over 100 caps). People always say we haven’t won anything, but I remember starting my international career on the bench in stadiums that only held 5,000 spectators. Since 2014, seeing the stadiums full, with everyone supporting us, it’s been a joy to witness the team’s growth. While I’d love to achieve more for Belgium, it’s difficult considering the gap on paper between us and the powerhouses. I just try to do my job as a player, a teammate, and help the team by sharing my experience.
About new coach Tedesco:
De Bruyne: We achieved incredible things with Roberto Martinez, accomplishing something Belgium had never done before. So, there’s a lot of pressure on Tedesco. Since the 2022 World Cup, he’s had to build a new team with many young players, adapting everything to his football philosophy. Tedesco is very open in communication. So far, I think he’s done well in the qualifiers and his work up to now, but ultimately, his success will be judged by our performance in this Euro.
On Belgium’s Euro prospects:
De Bruyne: On paper, some teams are favorites over us. But momentum is crucial in tournaments, and once you have it, anything can happen – fingers crossed for us. A good start is important, but we won our first game in the 2022 World Cup and still didn’t progress. In the coming days, we’ll prepare mentally and physically, hoping for a strong start against Slovakia.
De Bruyne: Belgium lagging behind top teams in quality? We’ll answer critics with wins. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/9059.html
