The draw conceded on Saturday evening against Kazakhstan (1-1) had the effect of an explosion in Belgium. While the Red Devils had the opportunity to validate their ticket to the World Cup, they presented a dull and indecisive face. From the stands, Rudi Garcia, suspended, watched helplessly as a lackluster performance which seemed to have definitively damaged his credit with the players and the media.
Doku puts his foot in the dish
Jérémy Doku was the first to light the fuse. The Manchester City winger did not hide his frustration: “If we need them to beat Kazakhstan, we won’t do anything at the World Cup.” A sentence full of meaning, targeting as much the lack of character of the group as the choices of the coach. Doku also denounced insufficient preparation
: “We thought they would play long, but they played short. Maybe we didn’t analyze our opponent enough.” Words that sound like a direct challenge to the tactical work of the staff.
The Belgian press, often measured, showed rare severity. On Sporza, Peter Vandenbempt judged the release of Doku “as worrying as the match itself”believing that Garcia should “urgently repair the link with your locker room”. Others, like the
Het Nieuwsblad or RTBF, evoke a “outdated coaching” And “a project running out of steam”. Already criticized after the draw against North Macedonia, the former OM coach now seems isolated, almost disowned by his environment.
A fracture that has been brewing for a long time
Tensions between Garcia and certain executives, notably Doku, are not new. The winger had already expressed his incomprehension during the coach’s first match last March, where he did not play a minute. If the relationship has since normalized, the accumulated frustration resurfaces at the slightest poor performance. Other players, like Nicolas Raskin, also let their weariness show, symbol of a locker room which no longer completely follows the French technician’s method.
Tuesday against Liechtenstein, Belgium can validate its qualification, but the problem seems deeper. Behind the mixed results lies a loss of support and confidence. Yesterday, from the stands, Garcia saw his soulless team and his authority eroded a little more. A few months before the World Cup, his future seems more uncertain than ever. If he fails to reignite the flame by then, he may never set foot on the American pitch with the Red Devils.
