Hein Vanhaezebrouck tempers Belgian enthusiasm after match vs France

During the Red Devils' duel against France at the Stade de France, Belgium thought it had achieved a feat, but ended up “taking on water”, according to consultant Hein Vanhaezebrouck. The coach, former manager of Anderlecht and Gent, hopes that this setback will be remembered rather than talking about a high‑fly performance.

A match far from exceptional

Vanhaezebrouck believes the match was “far from exceptional”. He notes that the first half was decent, but the second was limited to holding on against an average France. “We scored a superb goal, so we think we delivered a superb performance; no, it was just an exceptional goal,” he insists‑il.

The Belgian prism

In the columns of , the consultant describes the Belgian perception as a “very Belgian prism”: “We see the match in France through a frankly very Belgian prism”. He adds that, even if Belgium had won, it would have been described as a “stroke of luck”.

Mark van Bommel's speech, given after the match, did not convince Vanhaezebrouck. The Dutchman reminded that the goal remains Euro 2028, describing the progress as “a matter of time” before beating a “great nation”.

Reactions and outlook

Vanhaezebrouck points out that the optimistic remarks were too positive, comparing the situation to that of the Belgium‑Spain match. He believes that, at home, the match could have ended in a draw, but that the latest encounter was more a reminder of reality.

With six points out of twelve, Belgium has two‑faced performances, both against France and in Italy. Vanhaezebrouck concludes that the narrative must be shared, at least in part, and that the upcoming challenges, notably Mark van Bommel's responses in November, will remain decisive.