Kevin De Bruyne voiced his frustration with his Belgium teammates following their disappointing Nations League loss to France, calling the performance “unacceptable.”
Despite a slow start, France found their rhythm and secured a 2-0 win over Belgium, courtesy of goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele.
Throughout the match, the Belgian side looked disorganised, failing to link up effectively or pose a threat to France’s defence.
De Bruyne, clearly upset by the lack of cohesion and attacking spark, openly criticised his team’s efforts in the post-match interview.
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VTM, the 33-year-old midfielder expressed his disappointment and said: “I can’t say here what went wrong. I already did that to the team at halftime.
I cannot repeat that in the media, but it has to be better in every way. If the standard we want to reach is the best, but we’re no longer good enough to get to that level, then you have to give everything. If you don’t even do that, it’s over.”
Belgium’s “Golden Generation,” once considered one of the most talented groups of players in world football, have struggled to build on the promise of their third-place showing at the 2018 World Cup, but that is not De Bruyne’s main gripe.
“I can accept that we’re not as good as in 2018,” the Manchester City star said. “I was the first to see that, but other things are unacceptable. I’m not going to say what.”
De Bruyne also criticised Belgium’s tactical setup, suggesting that the team’s style of play is hindering their ability to perform at their best.
“We are too many at the back. If you stay with six at the back, there is no connection,” he reasoned. “It is what it is. It is not about transition, but about people who do not perform their tasks.”
Following a frustrating conclusion to the international break, Kevin De Bruyne will be keen to bounce back as he prepares to join Manchester City for their Premier League clash against Brentford on Saturday.