Belgium were eliminated from Euro 2024 in painful fashion after veteran defender Jan Vertognen deflected a late Randal Kolo Muani shot beyong his own goalkeeper
Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne muttered the word “stupd” as he left a press conference following his team’s elimination from Euro 2024.
De Bruyne, 33, is one of the only survivors of his country’s so-called ‘golden generation’ to play a part in this year’s tournament. Belgium reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and the quarter-finals of the two European Championships either side, but have been able to deliver silverware.
It was France who beat Belgium in that 2018 semi-final, and the same opponents knocked them out of the Euros this time around. Another survivor of those squads, 37-year-old Jan Vertonghen, deflected the ball into his own net to send Les Bleus into the quarter-finals.
After the game, De Bruyne was asked by a reporter about the golden generation’s lack of silverware. It was clear from his answer that he didn’t take too kindly to the line of questioning.
“And you say that France and England and Spain and Germany is not a golden generation?” De Bruyne asked in return. He then thanked the reporter before leaving the stage, saying “stupid” as he left.
The reporter in question, Tancredi Palmeri, fired back at the Manchester City star on social media. “Ahah DeBruyne just called me stupid,” he began.
“Hey Kevin, little memo for you: the golden generation you mentioned of France, England, Germany and Spain they ALL REACHED A FINAL! Usual footballer that wants only question telling him how good they are. Spoiled brat.”
“No chance, we’re too old,” De Bruyne said before Belgium’s most recent World Cup campaign in 2022. On that occasion, the Red Devils suffered a surprise group stage elimination behind Morocco and Croatia.
“I think our chance was 2018. We have a good team, but it is ageing. We lost some key players. We have some good new players coming, but they are not at the level other players were in 2018. I see us more as outsiders,” he told The Guardian.
This time around, Belgium began their campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Slovakia before beating Romania and drawing with Ukraine to make it out of their group. Their failure to top the group meant France awaited, though, and that’s where their journey ended.
“It’s beautiful! We delivered a solid game“, France boss Didier Deschamps told TF1 (via Get French Football News) after his team’s victory “It was tight. We had more possession and opportunities.
“We did a lot of good things. We have to enjoy it, not belittle it. We’re in the quarters, they’re going home unfortunately, good habits!”
Roy Keane, covering the game as a pundit for ITV, sympathised with Belgium. “It’s tough on them. I think France were the better team. Obviously, the quality wasn’t really there,” he said.
“It wasn’t a surprise that it was an own goal that settled the game. You also need a bit of luck. France kept a clean sheet and when you do that, you will always have a chance.”
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