Kevin De Bruyne has found himself at the centre of attention in Belgium this week following his strop after the country lost to France.
The 2-0 defeat was no surprise, given France are the better side, but the Manchester City star truly spat his dummy out and went in on teammates. He suggested multiple players don’t have top level talent and don’t work hard enough to make up for that. The midfielder then also insinuated he may quit the national team.
It was childish at best, and the midfielder is likely cringing at his own actions right now but too consumed with pride to have done anything, publicly at least, about it.
The Belgium national team’s Golden Generation were coddled for so long by the country’s media that multiple players developed the attitude that they were doing the country a favour.
Indeed, even after this week’s tantrum, much of the Belgian media has been approaching the situation with a What can Belgium do for Kevin De Bruyne mindset rather than the reverse.
Sporza quote journalist Peter Vandenbempt as saying: “I don’t think he should apologise now. It was very unfortunate and inappropriate to say that, and he can explain to the group why it happened that way, but we don’t have to fish for excuses now.
“All parties involved simply have to do everything they can to restore peace for the upcoming matches against Italy and France, so that De Bruyne can continue with the motivation with which he started this campaign.
“And everyone in this group of players will be open to that. Although they were tackled harshly with words afterwards and gestures on the field, everyone realises that they play better with De Bruyne than without him.”
Vandenbempt is also quoted sharing fear De Bruyne could call it a day: “In my eyes it was more a statement that came from enormous disappointment and frustration, which grew during the match. Maybe he thinks a little differently today about what he said in his interview afterwards.
“I hope he doesn’t stop playing internationally. That would be a catastrophe. The national team would suddenly take three steps back. There is absolutely no one who can replace him at the moment.
“But if he manages to adjust his own expectations a little and adapt to the new reality at the Red Devils, he can look forward to a bright future in the shirt of the Belgians.
“He has to decide that for himself now, but I don’t think Kevin De Bruyne played his last international match yesterday.”
So now, to avoid the potential catastrophe, Belgium largely seems to be tiptoeing around the Manchester City player and perhaps not giving the him shake and criticism he deserves.
Meanwhile, an interesting slant in all of this is Thibaut Courtois. The goalkeeper fell out with the national manager Domenico Tedesco and has refused to return whilst he’s in place. That breakdown was partly due to arguments around captaincy.
So whilst the De Bruyne storm was breaking, Courtois posted pictures from the week long holiday he’s just enjoyed somewhere tropical.
That surely has to be tempting for Grumpy Kevin.
