Delay of Belgium‑France match: the Blues hampered by socks

The Belgium‑France match started with a delay of a few minutes last night, highlighting a protocol problem for the Blues. The kickoff scheduled for 8:45 p.m. was pushed back, forcing the Devils to wait in the corridor of the King Baudouin Stadium.

Blues' sock problem

The delay was due to a sock problem for the Blues. According to TF1 relayed by RMC, the socks of the French players did not stay on properly, causing discomfort. The official had to go back to the stadium's stockroom to retrieve more suitable pieces, which prolonged the wait.

The Devils waited for their evening opponents in the Heysel arches before taking the field. This wait lasted several minutes, even though the kickoff should have been given at 8:45 p.m.

The Blues stayed longer than expected in the dressing room, delaying the entry onto the pitch and the playing of the anthem, which was sadly whistled by the Belgian supporters.

During a match in Turkey, Zinedine Zidane had also been delayed, missing the start of La Marseillaise; here, it was the entire French team that was affected.

We will probably have to wait until France's first home match to see a pre‑match without any issues.