Can there be an end of reign for who has not been crowned? Held in check by Croatia (0-0), Thursday 1er December, despite numerous opportunities, the Belgian team left the World Cup in Qatar through the back door, from the group stage, found itself without a coach – the Spaniard Roberto Martinez having announced his departure – and feared to have offered a sad epilogue to the most beautiful generation in its history. Who, despite all his promises, has never won a single title.
“Golden Generation”. The label associated with a team led by four outstanding players – Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne – and many partners embedded in the group dynamic seemed to stick to the team like Captain Haddock’s band-aid. Trusting one of the first two places in the world rankings continuously for four years, the players of the Flat country had won, in 2018, the best result in their history, finishing the Russian World Cup in third place.
Under pressure after a missed start to the World Cup – a sluggish victory against Canada (1-0) and a defeat against Morocco (0-2) – the Belgian locker room accumulated tensions. By way of press, sometimes, the players reproached themselves who the weight of the years, who a sluggish defense. After their elimination, the tongues did not loosen, but the mines were low, and few players stopped to try to explain the exit from the road.
“Belgium had to play better. I’m not going to say that we don’t deserve to be out, but we should have played better. Everything is disappointing”, summed up striker Michy Batshuayi. Remaining on the bench, the only Belgian scorer at the Qatari World Cup watched his partners struggle, first, then push. Before multiplying the failures, destroying the chances of a qualification on the wire.
Generation steeped in talent and painful memories
Arrived on one leg in Qatar and entered after the break, Romelu Lukaku could have been the hero of the Red Devils. Re-donning his panoply of finisher with a much more exciting selection with him, the Inter Milan striker had qualification at the end of his foot. But on the four clear chances he had, the striker did not find the target. “I wouldn’t say he’s the antihero because he’s there for the occasions, he creates them too.defended defender Timothy Castagne. He keeps the ball, he weighs. And maybe if he’s not there, we don’t have those chances. »
Inconsolable on the edge of the field, Lukaku was comforted by Thierry Henry, assistant to Roberto Martinez and among the names mentioned to succeed the Spanish technician. Like this improbable miss on a cross from Thorgan Hazard at the very end of the match, where the striker did not manage to straighten a ball that erased the goalkeeper with his body, he will have lacked a touch of realism to start his tournament and that of Belgium.
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