Mark Van Bommel promises the Red Devils to aim for the World Cup

Mark Van Bommel delivered his first speech to the Red Devils at the season's first gathering in Tubize, in front of 2,670 people, ahead of the four Nations League matches that await Belgium. He said « You can win the World Cup ».

A new chapter in Tubize

The national technical director Vincent Mannaert officially introduced the new Dutch manager to the players, emphasizing that « today, it is a new story ». After the Rudi Garcia era, the Mark Van Bommel era, former stalwart of Club Brugge, begins. Van Bommel also added three new recruits to the Dutch staff to strengthen his coaching team.

In his address, the former Club Brugge stalwart recalled the presence of many familiar faces while welcoming a few new ones. He said: « we start with the Nations League, it is not the easiest schedule we have had ». He added that the talent available allowed the bar to be set high enough at all levels.

World ambitions expressed

Mark Van Bommel did not rule out the idea that the Red Devils could one day win the World Cup under his guidance. He asserted: « I think that with a little more success, you could have gone further, and with an extra edge, you could even win it ». He recalled Belgium's elimination in the quarter‑final against Spain at the last World Cup, emphasizing that the same mindset must guide the upcoming tournaments.

According to Van Bommel, « that is also the mindset that will be needed for the Nations League and the European Championship ». He clarified that he does not want to act like a professor, but that he wants the team to play with a clear idea, involving numerous individual or group discussions, line by line. He stressed the importance of knowing what each player must do.

First session and first absences

The first training took place in Tubize, open to the public, marking the start of Van Bommel's preparation. The only missing player was striker Leandro Trossard, unavailable due to injury. The players were then sent back to the workroom after the introductory session.

This gathering, described as the “first” of the season, brought together 2,670 enthusiastic supporters. It precedes the four Nations League matches that await Belgium, a schedule that Van Bommel deems demanding.

Thus, Van Bommel's hopeful speech juxtaposes the displayed confidence with the difficulty of the schedule, hinting at a Belgium ready to aim for the World Cup while aware of the challenges ahead. This duality between ambition and realism characterizes the Dutch manager's first message.