Charles De Ketelaere hails summer as a peak despite Atalanta criticism

Charles De Ketelaere describes the summer as the best period of his career: the Atalanta striker scored in the World Cup quarter‑final against Spain, but Belgium eventually lost 2‑1. Upon returning home he was immediately flooded with compliments, while he wondered whether that attention really helps him forward.

Role at Atalanta and Belgium

At Atalanta, under coach Maurizio Sarri, De Ketelaere is mainly deployed from the wing. There he is given the freedom to cut the ball inside, but he is rarely used as a central striker. With the Red Devils, however, he has developed into a striker, a position he occupied during the World Cup. This double role highlights the tactical differences between club and national team.

“I’m fine. I’m happy to be here. I feel a lot of energy in myself and everyone. It’s nice to be here.”

De Ketelaere gave this answer during the interview about his summer and the move back to Italy. He added that he had recently spent a holiday with compatriot Kevin De Bruyne.

He calls the World Cup the best moment of his career, despite also having won the Europa League. “Playing for your country feels really special,” he said, and he emphasized how the nation felt as one during the tournament. The unity he described was, in his view, unprecedented and gave him a lot of energy. He noted that he had never seen so many people so united around the national team.

After his return to Italy De Ketelaere felt respect from his teammates, although he did not receive applause. He received countless congratulations and opinions that he had played the World Cup well, which he experienced as positive. The players told him that he had performed well at the World Cup, an acknowledgement he appreciated. He indicated that the respect from the group motivates him to further prove himself at Atalanta.

Reactions and future outlook

When Spain later became world champion, De Ketelaere received messages as if he had won the World Cup himself, because he was the only player who had scored against them. He laughed about it, but admitted that the elimination by Spain remained “bitter”. He said that even before the match against Spain he did not think about his holiday, but only about progressing in the tournament. The memory of that match remains, in his view, a bittersweet experience.

Mark van Bommel said that the team could have won, which De Ketelaere interprets as a sign of the bar that Van Bommel wants to set. De Ketelaere confirmed that from the start there was a lot of belief in the group, especially after the comeback against Senegal and the dominant victory over the United States. He emphasized that the margins in football are small, but that Belgium still needs to win two more matches to become world champion. Regarding the match against France, which later was seen as a top favourite, he said that he did not feel that Spain could score at any moment in the second half.

The contrast between the personal fame of his summer and the mixed reactions at Atalanta shows how success at international level does not automatically lead to full appreciation at home. De Ketelaere, however, remains optimistic and sees the coming period as an opportunity to further develop his game both at Atalanta and with the Red Devils.