Furious Kevin De Bruyne hits out at Belgium teammates after 'unacceptable' defeat

After a disappointing World Cup in 2022 and a lacklustre European Championship in 2024, Belgium's national team is facing a serious crisis that shows no signs of improving. On Monday, in the Nations League, the Belgians were beaten 2-0 by a France side who also came into the game with doubts.

The Red Devils put in a dreadful performance against ‘Les Bleus’, something that unleashed the anger of Kevin de Bruyne. The star of the national team was very angry throughout the match about what was happening in the match, with a 'I quit, I quit...' on his lips as he talked to the assistant of Domenico Tedesco, the Belgian coach.

Although the image was very eye-catching, it was not so much a talking point after the match, as the Manchester City player did not bite his tongue when it came to analysing the game and questioned his team-mates' commitment to the national team.

"When you are not as good as you used to be to be at the top, you have to give your all. And I haven't even seen that on the pitch. I can accept that we are not as good as we were in 2018, in fact I am the first to say that, but I cannot tolerate the way we played tonight. It was absolutely unacceptable," said De Bruyne.

His words, understandably, have been fuel for the Belgian national team's crisis flame, with coach Domenico Tedesco under fire for his decisions and results. Despite the fans putting the spotlight on the coach, there has also been criticism of De Bruyne's words from Belgium in recent hours, with former internationals Marc Degryse and Toby Alderweireld in particular.

"I think he has gone too far," Degryse commented. "It's a very complicated issue. As captain (referring to De Bruyne), I would always stand up for my team. In the end, you have to come out of this united. With his interview, it becomes more difficult," said Alderweireld, who shared a dressing room with De Bruyne for many years until his retirement from international football after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

 

September 9, 2024