Mark van Bommel puts pressure on Italy, Openda in the spotlight

In the cold hall of the Belgian football house stands Mark van Bommel ready for his first big test as head coach of the Red Devils, with a clash against Italy on September 25 at 20:45. He wants not only a result, but immediately to show a clear playing style, while Loïs Openda appears again in the squad.

Short preparation, big challenge

The preparation time is particularly short: both Belgium and Italy get only three days to implement a new plan on the field. The Dutchman acknowledges that his opponent, Roberto Mancini, is in the same situation, but he refused to look for excuses. “It is not easy to prepare such a match, because we have only three days to implement a game plan and new principles,” Van Bommel said.

The staff of the Red Devils has, of course, analyzed footage of Italy, but the focus is primarily on their own game. Van Bommel wants his team to take the initiative from the first whistle and lay down their own accents. In training he already saw many positive signals.

Own game over analysis

“The level in training is very high. I have very intelligent players, such as Youri Tielemans, who have quickly understood our principles: to have the ball, win it back quickly when we lose it, and control the matches,” said Van Bommel. He counts on experienced and tactically strong players to translate his ideas quickly to the group. Romelu Lukaku also receives a clear role within the plan.

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Van Bommel did not want to say anything to the press about his lineup, but he did smile that the players are already better informed than the journalists present. “I have already communicated the team … to the players. They know them,” he laughed.

Players and tactics

An Italian journalist brought up Loïs Openda and described his period at Juventus as “catastrophic”. Van Bommel smiled, but immediately came to the striker’s defense. “Since I became head coach, we have often seen Loïs play and he has convinced us of his qualities,” he replied, short but clear.

He refused to speculate about the problems at Juventus and said: “Perhaps the problem lies at Juventus, I don’t know. That question should be directed to them first.” The head coach remained calm, although he expects nerves to arise on the eve of the match.

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With this plan Van Bommel hopes not only to win, but also to establish a recognizable identity for Belgium. A successful execution would increase the Red Devils’ chances of future victories and herald a new chapter in the development of Belgian football.