Too bad to end like this.
Belgium gave a failed funeral to its golden generation of footballers.
Despite the absence of a title won, she remained at the top of the rankings for more than three years, from 2019 until last spring.
But for her last World Cup, she shone more off the pitch than on the green rectangle.
Before being eliminated from the group stage.
Sad farewells for players who have taken Belgian football to the highest level since 2016 and for their coach, the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, who announced in the process that he was leaving his post, after six years at the head of the Devils red.
Unable to qualify for the round of 16 after failed matches against Canada (despite a flattering 1-0 victory), Morocco (0-2) and therefore Croatia (0-0), the Belgians left Doha.
"It's well known that the reigning world champions always have a lot of trouble the next edition. And since we deserved to be in 2018..." pic.twitter.com/rOE5H2yXri
— Fédé 🇫🇷 de la Lose (@FFLose) November 27, 2022
They had certainly arrived there full of doubts.
Romelu Lukaku, his star striker and top scorer in the history of the selection (68 goals), was recovering from a thigh injury.
Against the Croats, he missed three huge chances that could have qualified his team.
Eden Hazard, most often stuck on the Real Madrid bench for the past three seasons, has lacked the rhythm that made him, four years ago, the twirling symbol of spectacular Belgium and dominating Brazil in the quarter-finals of the World Cup- 2018.
He will have spent the last game on the bench.
The defence, which had already suffered from the retirements of Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen, has been criticized for being slow, sometimes rightly so.
But the thirties Jan Vertonghen (35) and Toby Alderweireld (33), well protected by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, will however have conceded only two goals in three games.
Too "old" and "slow"
As for the coach, the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, described as "too conservative" by the Belgian media, he preferred to persevere rather than attempt a real generational transition.
His choices against Morocco turned into a disaster.
Bougon, Kevin De Bruyne did not fail to express his incomprehension in the face of certain decisions.
After six years at the head of the national team, of which he took the reins in 2016 following Marc Wilmots, the one who is also the technical director of the Federation has therefore decided to stop there.
Arrived at the end of the contract, he will not extend.
He will no doubt be criticized for not having succeeded in keeping his group together.
The "group of friends", according to captain Hazard, experienced "tensions", acknowledged Martinez.
Criticism by the press from Kevin De Bruyne and Hazard against defenders deemed "old" and "slow" has necessarily weighed on the services of recent days.
"A lot of things are going through my head now, but these are things that are better not to say in front of a camera," Vertonghen replied after the match on the Sporza channel, in a sour tone.
"We don't create much in front, almost nothing, in fact. However, we have a lot of qualities. Maybe also we attack badly because the guys are too old."
Atmosphere… Faced with rumors of an altercation in the locker room, Hazard and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had tried to defuse the conflict, ensuring that the Belgians had ironed out their differences.
"Of course, I always got on well with Jan! I wouldn't dare fight with him, he's bigger than me," laughed Hazard.
Renewal, finally
?
If Vertonghen and Alderweireld may have played their last major tournament, Hazard and De Bruyne, both 31, have not yet decided on the continuation of their international careers.
Courtois and Lukaku, they should continue the adventure.
A new group will have to assume the heavy heritage of this so-called golden generation but which will ultimately have won nothing.
Will the new ones have the talent of their elders?
The answer belongs to Theate, Trossard, Faes, De Ketelaere and other Onana.
"When it's the end of something, it's the start of another. The next generation has a lot of qualities," concluded Thorgan Hazard.
With AFP
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