Former Belgium international Franky Van der Elst (86 caps) was left stunned by Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne’s recent interview last week.
De Bruyne was furious after Belgium’s Nations League defeat to France and threatened to quit the national team. His comments were met with a bitter reaction at home and some were quick to point the finger at him.
De Bruyne no longer popular in Belgium
“I still think what De Bruyne did was unacceptable,” Van der Elst told Het Nieuwsblad. “I saw that interview and I was shocked. Sure, it wasn’t a good performance, except for the first twenty minutes, but if you’ve already had your say at half-time, why do you have to do it publicly afterwards?”
It was former international Gilles de Blide who questioned De Bruyne for TV. Van der Elst praised his composure in the face of the Citizen midfielder’s insolence. “He was also sharp with Gilles De Bilde, wasn’t he? I would have been a little taken aback, I didn’t have an immediate answer, but Gilles did well, I think. He remained stoic and asked a good follow-up question.”
