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July 2 – Kevin De Bruyne’s future with Belgium is up in the air after his national team departed Euro 2024 in ignominious fashion against France in the round of 16.
A single moment of defensive laxness cost Belgium dearly and prompted a new crisis against France after a match that veered from a tactical chess game to an underwhelming blockbuster with both teams applying a safety-first approach.
Belgium once again exited a tournament with a whimper, leaving marquee midfielder De Bruyne both exasperated and reticent.
He deflected a question about the golden generation, saying: “I tried to do everything I could. This is not what we wanted, but although we were not one of the favourites, we let ourselves down in the match against Slovakia.”
De Bruyne said that Belgium stuck to the game plan – but the strategy backfired. The Belgians lurked on the counter but conceded in the final minutes of the match when Randal Kolo Muani’s shot deflected off Jan Vertonghen’s knee past the Belgian goalkeeper.
De Bruyne was first deployed in a deep position before he moved higher up the field after the introduction of Orel Mangala, but he couldn’t prevent a cruel defeat for his team.
The midfielder was peripheral for most of the match, chasing balls and covering ground. When he did release Yannick Carrasco, the number eleven took a touch too many and Theo Hernandez cleared with a last-minute tackle.
Mike Maignan saved De Bruyne’s stinging shot, one of Belgium’s best opportunities. Last Friday, De Bruyne celebrated his 33rd birthday, raising questions over how much time and motivation he has left to continue playing for Belgium.
Tedesco didn’t confirm whether De Bruyne would confirm with the national team. “He knows how important he is, he doesn’t need my opinion about it, he knows my opinion about it,” said Tedesco.
By the time the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada comes round, De Bruyne will be 35. De Bruyne debuted for…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/07/02/will-belgiums-euro-exit-also-de-bruynes/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-07-02 07:23:12
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