ANDThe new coach of Belgium, the Italian-German Dominic German, announced its first roster of players called up with the ‘red devils’, in which understand Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and the Atlético de Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco,hand also red and white Axel Witsel.
“The door is not closed. That’s the main message I wanted to convey to him. We wanted to see new faces, see what the potential was. But in June the door will be open again” commented the coach at the press conference, who claimed that the midfielder has little pace of play.
Tedesco explained that he had recently met Witsel in Madrid and called him yesterday to “try to explain” his decision. “He doesn’t have to prove anything (…). The qualities are there and it’s evident. Even his character. Everyone in the Federation speaks very highly of him. It was a choice to see new faces”, insisted the coach, who he acknowledged “if I had played a little more, it would have helped” he said of the 34-year-old footballer. The footballer, Tedesco said, was grateful to have found out firsthand and not through the press.
The new technician will have the bulk of players in weight in the selection of recent years, like midfielder Kevin de Bruyne or striker Romelu Lukaku, for his debut at the helm of the ‘red devils’ he will face Sweden on 24 March as part of the Euro 2024 qualifiers and against Germany in a friendly duel on the 28th.
But the replacement for the Spaniard Roberto Martínezwho after more than six years at the helm of the team ended his contract with Belgium after the World Cup in Qatar, where the ‘red devils’ did not pass the group stage, It will also have new players on the roster of 20 outfield players and 4 goalkeepers.
Called up 19-year-old Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia for the first time and recovered the Herta Berlin midfielder for the national team Dodi Lukebakio25-year-old Nothinham Forest defender Orel Mangala24, and the Wolfsburg defender Sebastian Bornauw, 23 years.
“We didn’t look at the age of the players” nor have we given “any priority” to young people, but “to the performance, the pace,” he explained. The former coach of Leipzig, Spartak Moscow and Schalke called up 9 players from the English Premier League4 from the German Bundesliga, 4 from the French Ligue 1, 3 from the Italian Calcio, 2 from the Spanish Liga and 2 from the Belgian league.
Before the announcement of the call it was known that Tedesco could not count on striker Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbache) and midfielder Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), wound.
“Tielemans would be in the squad if he weren’t injured,” explained Tedesco, who explained it Batshuayi and Dries Mertens, The Galatasaray striker, who is also out of the squad, has no pace as the competition in his country was temporarily suspended due to the earthquakes in Turkey.
Another of the absences is that of Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, Eternal replacement for Courtois who this week announced his retirement from the national team at the age of 35. Mignolet followed in the footsteps of Real Madrid striker Eden Hazard (32) and Toby Alderweireld (34), who announced they were leaving the “Red Devils” after the World Cup.
– Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, ESP), Koen Caseels (Wolsburg, ALE), Thomas Kaminski (Blackbur Rovers, ING) and Matz Sels (Strasbourg, FRA).
– Defenses: Timothy Castagne (Leicester City, ING), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolsburg, ALE), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht, BEL), Wout Faes (Leicester City, ING), Orel Mangala (Nothingham Forest, ING), Thomas Meunier (Borusia de Dortmund, ALE), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan, ITA), Arthur Theate (Rennes, FRA) and Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht, BEL).
– Midfielders: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City, ING), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan, ITA), Romeo Lavia (Southampton, ING), Dodi Lukebakio (Herta Berlin, ALE), Amadou Onana (Everton, ING), Lois Openda (Lens, FRA) and Dennis Praet (Leicester City, ENG).
– In front of: Romelu Lukaku (Inter, ITA), Jérémy Doku (Rennes, FRA), Yannick Carrasco (Atlético de Madrid, ESP) and Leandro Trossard (Arsenal, ENG).
