UEFA Euro 2024: Belgium Highly Motivated to Engage France in Last-16 Clash
Despite a far-from-satisfying performance in their group with fans booing after the final whistle, Belgian national coach Domenico Tedesco has detected his strong will, reports Xinhua.
Berlin (Germany), June 27: The bumpy group performance at the UEFA Euro 2024 seemed a thing of the past for the team of Belgium. After the goalless draw against Ukraine, Belgium's star midfielder De Bruyne turned his head to the upcoming Classico against France in the round of 16 on Monday in Dusseldorf. "We are prepared, we are ready for that challenging game," he said after being rewarded as the "UEFA Player of the Match" against Ukraine. "This is only about getting into the next round. Here we are and now, it's France. We can make it," De Bruyne said. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Shows Respect to Idol Cristiano Ronaldo Before Celebrating Georgia’s 2–0 Win Over Portugal in UEFA Euro 2024 (Watch Video).
Despite a far-from-satisfying performance in their group with fans booing after the final whistle, Belgian national coach Domenico Tedesco has detected his strong will, reports Xinhua. "We face a top team, and everything is possible," the 38-year-old said before mentioning his team's latest achievements against top-class sides. "Therefore, why shouldn't we make it against France," the German-Italian coach said. De Bruyne and the Tedesco urged fans to keep on supporting the team "as we need them, especially in tight games. I think they know." The delicate duel against the neighbouring country, known as one of football Classico's, comes at the right time from the perspective of assistant coach Andreas Hinkel. UEFA EURO 2024 Round of 16 Schedule in IST: Get Fixtures, Time Table With Match Timings and Venue Details of Pre-Quarterfinal European Football Championship Matches.
The 42-year-old and 21-time capped German international, who had been a first-flight performer for Stuttgart, Sevilla, Celtic, and Freiburg, said it is positive to now face arch-rival France. "To be honest, I think it's just the right thing to play France now," Hinkel added. The difficult journey through the group is a thing of the past and everyone now is entirely focused on the upcoming duel against the 2018 World Champion and the runner-up of Qatar 2022. "We can unleash our true potential. These are the games we always want and are looking for. This is the magic of a Euro," Tedesco added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 28, 2024 08:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).