Devils have gained maturity since World Cup: “We are even more of a team” | UEFA Nations League

It was not all hosanna in the high, but with 2 victories against England and Denmark, the Red Devils proved that they are indeed worth their place at the Final Four.

“Compared to that lost semi-final against France, we have become even stronger collectively”, says Thorgan Hazard. “We are all defending now. We may have been a bit more defensive in the past 3 matches, but it is not bad for the future to suffer together and still win.”

National coach Roberto Martinez admits that that is the profit the Devils have made since the World Cup. “We are even more of a team, which is not evident in international football. In the past we sometimes had a hard time when a few were absent, now we also did fine without Meunier, Witsel, Eden, …”

“After that early goal from Youri, we were perhaps a little too fast with our heads at the Final Four, while it was still too far. That first half shook us awake and in the end we score 4 times against Denmark. You don’t just do that. . “

“We can now play in different ways”, Romelu Lukaku sums it up. “There are matches that we can completely knock the opponent off the mat, but we can also win if we really have to. A little more aggressive, more on the counter.”

“I think that is a good evolution, although I also think that we should not lose our identity as a footballing team.”

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Are the players satisfied with qualifying for the Final Four or does this feel like a step closer to an insignificant trophy? “I still hear a lot of positive sounds in the dressing room,” says Lukaku. “We are really happy with this.”

“It is normal that we are sometimes a bit reluctant, but that is because of the tough schedule. Many players are afraid of getting hurt. But we want to cultivate a winning mentality. We always want to be there: at a European Championship, World Cup, preliminary match, exhibition match. or in the Nations League. “

“This is only the second edition, but when you see the teams in the Final Four (Belgium, Italy, Spain and France) you realize that this will only gain prestige”, says the national coach.

“This is a final tournament that you want to be at. The other teams also take that seriously. Moreover, you don’t often get the chance to play this kind of all-or-nothing matches. Also today it was a kind of final. you only match that kind at the big tournaments. “

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