Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere believes that the fault the coach isn’t the only one at fault for the country’s poor showing in the 2024 European Championship, and that the players are the one on the field carrying out instructions, he told reporters on Tuesday.
“We talked about it yesterday so we can leave it behind,” De Ketelaere said. “We should have done better in the group stage, so that we got an easier opponent in the last-16 than a top side like France.
Atalanta’s De Ketelaere, 23, was given only six minutes of playing time at the European Championship in Germany, earned in a 1-0 round of 16 loss to France that knocked Belgium out.
Much soul searching followed for coach Domenico Tedesco and his team, particularly after a poor group phase in which it came second behind Romania with four points from three games.
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De Ketelaere said he harboured no ill-will over his cameo role at the Euros and was ready for more responsibility in the absence of several players, including the rested Romelu Lukaku.
“I’m not a person who has feelings of revenge,” he said. “I’m ready to show myself and do my best. I hope I get my chance. There will be more room to play and I hope I can do my part.”
The fixture with Israel on Friday will be hosted behind closed doors in neutral Hungary after several Belgian cities said they could not stage the game over security fears.
“I just see it as two matches we want to win,” added De Ketelaere. “The group is also still a (good chance to advance), even though the European Championship was not what we expected.”
Belgium is in League A and also has Italy in its Group A2. It plays a second fixture against France in Lyon on Monday.
