KEVIN DISSES BELGIUM
De Bruyne made scapegoat for Belgium disaster after his ‘we’re too old’ outburst and pitch bust-up with Alderweireld
KEVIN DE BRUYNE is carrying the can for Belgium’s World Cup meltdown.
The Manchester City midfielder’s increasingly erratic behaviour is being viewed as a clear sign there are growing rifts in Roberto Martinez’s squad after following up a lucky 1-0 win over Canada with a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Morocco. De Bruyne (left, making his point to boss Roberto Martinez) was well below his usual standards in both games and has cut an unhappy figure. When he was asked in the build-up to the clash with Morocco if the Red Devils could win the World Cup, he tellingly said: “No chance – we’re too old.” His words were not well received by his team-mates. Seven of the team who started against the Moroccans on Sunday were aged 30 or over – including De Bruyne and Martinez also used 35-year-old Dries Mertens as a substitute. When ex-Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen, 35, was asked to explain the loss, he replied in a sarcastic tone: “We probably attacked badly because we are too old.” De Bruyne has been heavily criticised in Belgium for his attitude. Former Belgium star Gilles De Bilde said: “Look at De Bruyne’s argument with Toby against Canada in front of the cameras.
“It’s things that come into play, things that make him look difficult. If you look at the photo from before the game, when Romelu Lukaku addresses the group, he is the only one who does not embrace his team-mates.
“He is the best player in this squad, but he frustrates the others and is frustrated because it is not working.” De Bruyne has not always joined in the group huddle with the same togetherness shown by the rest of his team-mates. But the Belgian public want an explanation why a team that came home from Russia in 2018 after beating England in the third-place play-off are failing to deliver in Qatar.