After the unexpected defeat of the first match against Slovakia (0-1), Belgium was a powder keg ready to explode. Criticism intensified against the coach, the Italian-German Domenico Tedesco, who was reminded of the disagreements that pushed Thibaut Courtois to resign from the national team. The reproaches also targeted the squad, with Romelu Lukaku leading the way for his eternal failure to score. Captain Kevin De Bruyne was also not immune to the disapprovals, who was criticized for lack of leadership to guide the transition between the components of the call. Golden Generation who was third in the 2018 World Cup and the new batch of talents represented by his teammate at Manchester City, the winger Doku (22 years old), the winger Bakayoko (21, PSV) and the midfielders De Ketelaere (Atalanta, 23) , Vranckx (Wolfsburg, 21) and Vermeeren (19, Atlético).
In the midst of that inflamed atmosphere, De Bruyne gathered the squad the day after the defeat against the Slovaks and addressed the youngest players. “I just wanted to take the fear of failure out of their minds,” admitted De Bruyne in the mixed zone of the Cologne Stadion after leading Belgium’s victory against Romania, goal included. “If I am able to help my colleagues and guide them on the right path, I will be satisfied. I will do everything I can to get us all headed in the right direction. “I am getting older and I want to show in my last years with the national team how to behave as a player and as a leader,” he warned. His absence from the national team for almost a year due to injuries had prevented him from consolidating the leadership that is demanded of him. “I have known him for a short time. He met us for the first time in March. Unfortunately, for us he was gone for almost a whole year. He practically couldn’t play in the qualifying phase. You can see how positive he is and it is important that the players go out on the field with that state of mind,” Tedesco praised him.
Under the strong pressure that a defeat against Romania could mean an unexpected elimination, De Bruyne led Belgium’s game against the Romanians. He emerged as the player designated to be one of the best in the championship. He appeared as a midfielder capable of creating play all over the field and also finishing it. His goal, the 2-0 that sealed the game with ten minutes remaining, was preceded by a long kick into space by the Belgian goalkeeper Casteels. De Bruyne ran freely down the central corridor until he met the Romanian goalkeeper Nita, whom he surpassed with a subtle touch of his toe. “We did a couple of serves like that in training before the game. Romania was putting pressure on us and I saw the space to run, so I just needed to get a touch to anticipate their goalkeeper coming out to score,” De Bruyne described with satisfaction.
Insisted on whether this Euro Cup could be his last major tournament, the Belgian captain once again remembered that he now has a mission to fulfill. “I’ve been playing on this team for 10 years and I have a lot of knowledge to pass on to the younger players, but I haven’t decided when I’m going to finish,” he concluded. De Bruyne also had time to protect the questioned Lukaku: “he played a great game and was generous with Tielemans to assist him. He is having a great tournament.” Captain’s word.
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