Mark van Bommel remains optimistic despite the defeat to France
Mark van Bommel had not lost his smile, even though he was a little more tense than usual, during the press conference that followed Belgium's defeat to France. He nevertheless drew an overall positive assessment of the international break and reminded that the goal remains Euro 2028.
Mark van Bommel had not lost his smile, even though he was a little more tense than usual, at the press conference. He acknowledged the difficulty of the result but stressed the need to keep morale.
With a hint of bitterness, he drew an overall positive assessment of the international break. Despite a particularly harsh scoreline, he chose to see the glass as half full, even if he had to squint to do so.
Match analysis
"It's a match comparable to what happened in Brussels. We held on long enough before cracking," said the Belgian manager. This comparison highlights the similarity of the difficulties encountered in both games.
"We struggled a bit at the start of the match, they put pressure on us. But you know that it's enough to manage a few passes out of defence to achieve great things," added Van Bommel. He thus highlighted the importance of quick transition.
Jérôme de Warzée mockery: Mark van Bommel criticised at 4‑1
Euro 2028 objective
The Belgian goal, the result of a piece of genius by Roméo Lavia, illustrated the proper functioning of the five-man back block, according to Van Bommel. He emphasized the calm that prevailed during that play.
Against France, the French side displayed a lot of quality and scored goals quickly, as the manager recalls. "The numbers are harsh," he noted, implying that the difference was clear.
"It was a long break, with four matches. Some of my players barely get game time at club and have had to play a lot in a very short period, at high intensity," Van Bommel recalled. He concluded that, despite everything, he retains more positives than negatives.
"Today, we score the goal that eluded us in Brussels: it's a step in the right direction. This direction must lead us to the Euro, the ultimate goal," smiled Mark van Bommel. He added that the Nations League is the essential path to be competitive at Euro 2028.