Foreign media praise De Bruyne while Turkey struggles
The Red Devils beat Turkey thanks to the old guard, with Kevin De Bruyne (35) and Romelu Lukaku (33) who were put in the spotlight by the foreign media. “Le vieux vous salue bien.” was the French quote, while the Belgian attack gave a lesson in how to win matches.
Foreign praise for De Bruyne
The French sports newspaper L’Équipe praised De Bruyne as a unique artist, while the Dutch daily AD labeled him “the great man in Liège”. The Spanish newspaper AS called him “reborn”. “Greetings from the old man”, wrote a correspondent, thereby honoring the veterans of the Red Devils. Emma Van Avermaet of Sport noted in the Latest update that De Bruyne’s performances were a rare moment of brilliance.
The list of the golden generation still includes names such as Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Axel Witsel, Marouane Fellaini, Mousa Dembélé, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Thomas Vermaelen. Many supporters look back nostalgically on that era, as the Dutch emphasise.
National team coach Mark van Bommel deployed De Bruyne and Lukaku in attack, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois voluntarily remained absent during this international break. The Red Devils thanked the old guard for the victory and shouted: “The Last of the Mohicans”. That old guard remained crucial for the win.
Criticism of Turkish football
In the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet the situation was labelled a crisis, with coach Vincenzo Montella “certainly not the one who can rescue the national team from this situation”. Turkish fans would feel disillusioned and shift their hopes to players like De Bruyne, who, according to them, “gave a lesson in what it means to be a great footballer”.
Marc Degryse praised the effort of Mark van Bommel and noted that even the biggest critics must admit that he “delivers impressive work”. The French comment “It will benefit Les Bleus, but not the spectacle value” underscored that De Bruyne’s performance is also admired outside Belgium.
The contrast between the exuberant foreign praise for the Belgian veterans and the critical tone about Turkish football shows how the remaining members of the golden generation still make the difference, while their opponents search for a new compass.