Euro 2020 Profile: Belgium

Romelu Lukaku in action in the last Euros

Romelu Lukaku in action in the last Euros Credit: Al Robinson (ETPhotos)

Euro 2020 Team Profile 

Team: Belgium

Manager: Roberto Martinez

Group: B

Other teams in the group: Denmark, Finland, Russia

THE SQUAD

There is a very multinational feel to the 26 player Belgian squad as the players’ clubs are spread across no less than nine different countries, eight in Europe and one player (Thomas Vermaelen) playing club football in Japan.

Over a third of the squad play with UK clubs, and it is peppered with well-known names such FA Cup Final hero Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur) and Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City). In addition, many other players have also sampled life in the English Premiership, notably Eden Hazard currently of Real Madrid but ex-Chelsea, former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet now with Club Brugge in Belgium and Romelu Lukaku who departed Manchester United in 2019 to join Inter Milan.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Matz Sels (Strasbourg)



Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Hertha Berlin), Jason Denayer (Lyon), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica)

Midfielders: Timothy Castagne (Leicester), Nacer Chadli (Istanbul Basaksehir), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Thorgan Hazard (Dortmund), Thomas Meunier (Dortmund), Dennis Praet (Leicester), Youri Tielemans (Leicester), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Dortmund)

Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Brighton).

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Belgium was the very first team to qualify for Euro 2020 and they did so in style, recording a resounding 9-0 win over group minnows San Marino in their last match back in November 2019.

They had a 100 % record in Group I where their opponents were Russia, Scotland, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and San Marino, joining Italy as one of only two teams with 100 % records in their respective qualification groups.



They only conceded three goals over the course of the 10-match qualification process and scored 40 goals.

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Kevin de Bruyne

A lot of the Belgian players seem to have been around for a long time, none more so than Kevin de Bruyne who is still only 29 but who has been playing international football since 2010. 

He has gone on to win 80 caps for Belgium and is recognised as one of the best players in the world, both for his performances for ‘the Red Devils’ as well as in the light blue of his club Manchester City.

He underwent a minor operation this weekend having suffered a fractured nose and eye socket in the Champions League final meaning he won’t have to wear a mask on his return to play.

He is one of the most creative players in the world and specialises in creating goal scoring chances for those around him, in the Premiership season just finished in England he had a 2:1 ratio of chances created and goals scored, registering 17 assists and 9 goals for City.

Jeremy Doku

Doku is one of the up-and-coming stars of the Belgian team and while not yet in the de Bruyne, Hazard or Lukaku bracket, the 18-year-old is seen as having the potential to make the starting XI on the back of a very successful club season with Rennes in Ligue 1 where he made 30 appearances and scored two goals. 

He earned the man of the match award after his performance for Belgium in their recent World Cup qualification match in March 2021, a game they won by an 8-0 score line with Doku netting their sixth goal in the 42nd minute.

Youri Tielemans 

24-year-old Tielemans really came to the attention of football followers worldwide with his wonderful goal in this year’s FA Cup Final, a goal that provided a fairy tale finish to the season for his club Leicester City who claimed a 1-0 win over eventual Champions League winners Chelsea on May 15th.

Tielemans is an industrious player who favours the defensive midfielder role both for club and country, although he does pop up with an occasional goal. He has scored four goals from his 38 appearances for the national team since his debut in November 2019.

WHERE ARE THEY PLAYING

Belgium v Russia, 12th June, Krestovsky, St Petersburg.

Denmark v Belgium, 17th June, Parken Stadium, Copenhagen.

Finland v Belgium, 21st June, Krestovsky, St Petersburg.

THREE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT BELGIUM

Belgium share the nickname ‘the Red Devils’ with Manchester United, and while United have a little devil logo on its team badge, Belgium adopted that nick name back in 1906 for no other reason other than the fact that they wore red jerseys.

Romelu Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time top goal scorer, netting 59 goals in his 91 appearances.

Team manager Roberto Martinez will never be out of work if he ever decides to leave the world of football; he has both a Batchelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy and a Postgraduate Degree in Business Management.

 

 

 

 

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