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Now that the deadline for submitting application letters has passed, the search for a new national coach has entered a new phase. In the Belgian media, assistant national coach Thierry Henry was put forward as a possible candidate. Romelu Lukaku, Toby Alderweireld and Loïs Openda already see him as the ideal successor. However, Henry says he has not submitted a resume.
Werner BourlezBron: BELGIAN
“I wish to make it clear that I have never contacted the Belgian Football Association to offer my services as a national coach, contrary to what has been written in articles,” Henry confesses to Sky Sports on Tuesday. “It is important that the truth be told.”
The task force, which in addition to RBFA CEO Peter Bossaert, also includes directors Sven Jaecques (Antwerp) and Pierre Locht (Standard), and former vice-chairman Bart Verhaeghe (Club Brugge), is now starting the selection process and, according to media reports, would already be meeting on Friday to select the candidates. to study. In an ideal scenario, the new national coach will be presented before the end of this month. The baptism of fire for him will follow at the end of March, on the first matchday in group F of the qualifications for the 2024 European Championship in Germany. With a move to the Friends Arena in Solna to look Sweden in the eye, the Devils immediately face the most difficult task in these qualifications, in which Austria, Azerbaijan and Estonia are the other opponents. The top two qualifies directly for Germany, which is automatically qualified as the organizer. For the other three European Championship places, the Nations League will be played through jump-offs.
For the time being, it is still unclear who will succeed Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard announced his retirement with tears in his eyes after a tenure of 6.5 years during the press conference after the early World Cup elimination in the group stage. In the meantime, Martinez is already working for Portugal, where he signed a contract until after the 2026 World Cup. A tough challenge, because he is the successor to success coach Fernando Santos and immediately has to deal with the problem Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 lost its starting place in Qatar and left the tournament through a loophole in tears. In the meantime he earns his living in Saudi Arabia, in not exactly the highest league in the world.
But Belgium also experienced heydays, with third place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia as the absolute highlight, the best result in the history of Belgian football. In addition, the Red Devils were in first place in the FIFA ranking for years. Martinez’s successor also faces a tough challenge. The names of Hervé Renard and Andrea Pirlo were also dropped in the Belgian media. In addition, a new technical director is also being sought, since Martinez combined both functions.
