Prying eyes have Belgium boss fearing Big Brother
BELGIUM boss Roberto Martinez feels like he is starring in a World Cup version of Big Brother.
The former Everton manager and his squad have come over all twitchy ahead of tonight’s Group G showdown with England in Kaliningrad.
It boils down to their accommodation arrangements.
It has emerged the squad are not impressed they are having to share their hotel with the English media.
One source close to the Belgian camp revealed the group “feel like they are surrounded by 50 foreign spies” inside the Mercure Hotel, situated next to a picturesque lake and close to popular tourist attractions.
Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet strolled into the gym yesterday and upon arrival saw two journalists, turned and walked out.
The players have taken rooms on the second floor, where armed police are patrolling the corridors.
Other officers have been sweeping the facilities with sniffer dogs, while airport-style security scanners await visitors in reception.
On Belgium’s trips to Sochi and Moscow, for their previous group games, Martinez’s side booked out hotels for privacy.
But quite what Belgium’s stars expected here is anyone’s guess.
Kaliningrad is Russia’s 40th largest city and is relatively primitive compared to Moscow and St Petersburg. It is not somewhere a large group of pampered sports-
men can lounge around in the lap of private luxury.
Martinez’s legendary powers of positive thinking will be seriously tested.
This, after all, is the man whose glass isn’t half full, but brimming over.
As one observer put it: “Anyone would want Martinez to speak at their funeral, because no matter how horrible you might have been in life, by the end of his eulogy people would love you.”
The laughable scenario is in keeping with the phoney war that has erupted ahead of a game that could have been pivotal, but is now a sideshow.
Both teams have qualified and all that needs to be decided is who tops the group. Achieving this is supposed to provide the winner with a more comfortable route through the knockout stages. But making predictions at this World Cup is proving a dangerous game and also disrespectful towards so-called weaker opponents.
Gareth Southgate has no intention of not attempting to win. Martinez, on the other hand, appears to have no problem putting his integrity on the line.
He admitted he doesn’t want to win and that the game to him is nothing more than the equivalent of a testimonial. Martinez, who has suggested he could make 10 changes, said: “From our point of view, we want to play well, but the priority is not to win. “We’ve had players in very demanding games and it’s important for us to protect some of them so they are in the best condition for the knockout stage.
“It’s a celebration game. There are lot of links between the two sides, in terms of the Premier League, and both teams can enjoy being qualified for the knockout stages.”
Martinez might not be taking the game seriously, but he knows England are a proper threat to their chances of winning the World Cup.
He added: “For me, on the outside looking in, Gareth Southgate has brought his talents from the Under-21 level and used the power of St George’s Park as well.
“There is a clear structure, tactical awareness and change of system, in the sense that they have found one that works.
“There is a generation of youth and energy. Gareth Southgate is a worker, a thinker and I wish him the very best of luck – after this game.”
The Spaniard has revealed Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku (inset) has not suffered ankle ligament damage.
He will not be risked against England but is confident of being fit again for the last-16 round.