© BELGA
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Was it disappointment? The hangover after he lost twice in a row for the first time as Belgian national coach? Or just frustration at the criticism he and his players received after the elimination by France? National coach Roberto Martinez reacted much more fiercely than usual.
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Ludo VandewalleSource: BELGIAN
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To our knowledge, Martinez has never made a theme for the refs in his match analyses, he did that now for the first time. And he was very strict
“I respect the referees because they have the most difficult job of all,” said the national coach. “But I do wonder where football is going with VAR. These are all actions called to our disadvantage. Today it wasn’t a penalty if you watched it on video. Still, the decision was upheld. The ref whistled before the ball was even played. Refs shouldn’t get emotional. I understand that there were a lot of people for the first time, but still. He misapplied the advantage rule twice. The distribution of yellow cards between the teams was not correct. Vertonghen was booked for an action the Italians took with impunity. We should have the best umpires for this tournament. They didn’t have the level. Neither does the VAR.”
Kittelorig
That raised eyebrows already. When asked whether he would adjust his 3-4-3 system during the preparation for the World Cup in Qatar, he also responded with a ticklish ear. “Which system? With or without ball? (cynical:) Today it was a 1-2-3-4 system. Well, we can talk about systems, about tactics. That is my life. I deal with that every day. It’s not about systems but getting the best out of the players. That’s my job, I’m working on it day in and day out. Like you with communication. Today you saw a team that created more chances than the European champion. They had the spirit to keep fighting after the 2-0. Questions have been raised as to whether this team can live up to expectations, but we need to look beyond just the results. We all need to be more mature. We play against Estonia and we win 2-5 but we see the problem in the two goals against. We need to be more responsible with how we treat this generation.”
ALSO READ. Final Four provides a scoop: Red Devils lose for the first time in a row under Roberto Martinez
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The Ketelaere
But wouldn’t De Ketelaere have been better off from the kick-off? “I always see if players are ready. This camp was very good for De Ketelaere. That was the first time he was relaxed. He has now adapted. I also need to see if he fits into the offensive game. He took his chance but we have to be patient. De Ketelaere is ready for this level. It was also good with Saelemaekers, just like with Vanaken. I found Tielemans’ reaction even more gratifying. Again, we have to be careful about picking and criticizing players. Tielemans’ fault may well be that he always takes responsibility. He has shown personality. Like the whole team after the 2-0, we could have drawn. We need to see that too.”
Martinez had also seen work points. “We can’t give those goals away. We have to improve in the penalty area. We need to defend better on that corner. We need to get even cooler. Five goals in two games should not be allowed. Those penalties, even if they were unjust, are not allowed. Mainly because we created better chances. We have to cross that psychological barrier. Spain also had that for a long time before they became European champions in 2008. The players are doing their best, I can’t complain about that. That win has yet to come.”
ALSO READ (+). “The preparation for the World Cup in Qatar has started. But it was a false start”
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