Mark van Bommel proud of Belgium players despite heavy France defeat
Belgium manager Mark van Bommel remains positive about his team's progress following a 4-1 Nations League defeat against France.
Belgium suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at the hands of France in the Nations League, marking a difficult end to their recent international fixtures. Despite the lopsided scoreline, head coach Mark van Bommel remained steadfastly optimistic, focusing on the tactical progress his side has made.
The Dutch manager highlighted how well his squad competed against a World Cup semi-finalist for large portions of the match. He noted that after a shaky start, the team maintained better organisation and ball control, creating significant challenges for their opponents.
For a long time, we were on equal footing with a semi-finalist of the last World Cup. The first ten minutes were complicated, but it went better afterwards. We kept the ball, we were well organised. We showed beautiful things and we scored a sumptuous goal. Mark van Bommel
Van Bommel acknowledged that France's superior squad depth and pace eventually proved decisive in the final 15 minutes of the game. However, he refused to dwell solely on the defensive collapse, preferring to look at the broader picture of his tenure thus far.
Having been in charge for only two weeks, the manager has overseen four matches. While they suffered two defeats against France during this window, the team previously secured commanding victories over Italy and Turkey, leading the coach to conclude that there are significantly more positives than negatives to build upon.