Why Vincent Kompany is bullish about Belgium

DOHA, Qatar -- Back successful 2010, I wrote a piece for The Times of London astir however nary state could lucifer Belgium's hugely talented radical of youngsters -- past aged betwixt 16 and 22 -- and wondered whether they could triumph a World Cup successful 2014 oregon 2018. Unbeknownst to me, Vincent Kompany, already an established subordinate astatine Manchester City, had wondered the same.

"It was a fewer years earlier that, I deliberation 2003 oregon 2004," helium told maine and Julien Laurens erstwhile we sat down with him for an occurrence of "Gab and Juls Meets...".

"I was lone a kid, possibly 17, but I talked astir however we Belgians had an inferiority complex, possibly due to the fact that we're a tiny country. But astatine the younker level astatine Anderlecht, we had specified a beardown squad and we were beating everybody comfortably -- adjacent Real Madrid. And past we'd interruption into the archetypal squad and each of a sudden, we couldn't compete."

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And yet that procreation of Belgian players, arsenic a group, did compete. With Kompany arsenic a benignant of "big brother" figure, they held the apical spot successful the FIFA rankings from 2017 to 2021 and, since 2014, were ne'er extracurricular the apical five. What did they person to amusement for it successful presumption of silverware? Three quarterfinal exits and a semifinal tally successful large tournaments. And now, arsenic they unfastened Qatar 2022 against Canada connected Wednesday night, the question is whether that model of accidental has closed.

At 36 years of age, Kompany is present the manager of Burnley, and they're apical of England's second-flight successful his archetypal play successful charge. He played his past crippled for Belgium successful 2019, but it's wide his feelings for the "Red Devils" stay strong.

"We were fig 1 successful the satellite for six oregon 7 years, the consistency was there," helium says. "But it's a tourney and there's a gully and thing tin happen. And it's good margins. Look astatine what happened successful 2018. We're successful the radical signifier and we play England successful the last game, and we cognize the losing squad volition person the easier pathway to the final. So what bash we do? Of course, we triumph this crippled and each of a sudden, we person to get past Japan, Brazil and France."

Kompany says that finishing 3rd astatine the past World Cup was inactive a fantastic effect for Belgium, and he's right. Even the decision to France successful the semifinal, decided by Samuel Umtiti's goal, came with the slimmest of margins. Indeed, it's 1 of the the peculiarities of the World Cup. Verdicts travel through, heroes are anointed, villains are decreed and monolithic c footprints generated successful drafting conclusions. And yet, astatine most, a squad volition play 7 games.

"It's nothing... 7 games," says Kompany. "And a World Cup is dissimilar thing else. You person to highest astatine the close time. We were astatine our highest successful 2018 against Brazil successful the quarterfinal and we needed to be, due to the fact that they were truthful good. And past the semifinal against France was down to acceptable pieces... [France keeper] Hugo Lloris made a large prevention from Toby Alderweireld, and they people connected a adjacent station tally disconnected a country kick. Those are margins. I emotion participating successful World Cups and tournaments similar that... I emotion it. But I ne'er gully conclusions from them. It's pointless. The champion squad successful the satellite [rarely] wins the World Cup."

It's portion of the cruel entreaty of this tournament. The nine crippled rewards consistency of the benignant his aged manager, Pep Guardiola, enactment unneurotic astatine Manchester City, winning 4 of the past 5 Premier League titles. The World Cup rewards moments, peaks and happenstance. That mightiness beryllium wherefore he's inactive bullish connected Belgium.

"I deliberation they tin [win it]," helium says. "Other teams whitethorn beryllium favourite arsenic well, but they tin triumph it successful the aforesaid mode Italy won it [in 2006]. With an experienced team, being disciplined and organized and having the vantage of having been unneurotic for a agelong time. And having match-winners and crippled changers successful the team. You request that successful tournaments."

You tin spot wherever he's coming from. There is plentifulness of experience, from Thibaut Courtois betwixt the posts, to Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen astatine the back, to Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne and Yannick Carrasco successful midfield, to Dries Mertens, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard further up the pitch.

Sure, Hazard has been injured and had a hard 18 months, portion Lukaku is straining to instrumentality to fittingness and mightiness not beryllium backmost for the radical stage. And yes, acquisition is different connection for "old" successful the parlance of football. But property is much of a occupation implicit a long, fixture-congested nine season. Over a fewer weeks successful December, adjacent idiosyncratic successful his mid-thirties tin gut it out. And portion Hazard and Lukaku stay question marks, who's to accidental this isn't erstwhile it each randomly comes together, adjacent briefly?

Plus, there's nary arguing erstwhile it comes to match-winners; possibly lone France and Brazil are much blessed successful that department. Belgium person some a shutdown keeper successful Courtois and, arguably, the champion attacking midfielder successful the satellite successful De Bruyne. They lone request to click astatine the close clip successful a mates of the close knockout games... and who knows?

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Former Belgium skipper Vincent Kompany joins the Gab & Juls Show and outlines wherefore Kevin De Bruyne is truthful important for his country.

Having played with him for years with Belgium and Manchester City, Kompany positively beams erstwhile discussing De Bruyne.

"He's got this happening astir him, which is precise Belgian... he's humble," Kompany says. "That makes him likeable. But beyond that, it's conscionable his shot brain. You springiness him a program and helium volition beryllium directing the orchestra. He sees the plan, helium closes his eyes and helium sees it. He receives the ball, and helium knows already what he's going to bash and helium executes it. All you person to is conscionable tally and beryllium acceptable to person the shot due to the fact that it volition beryllium there. And that's precise special.

"There's a large portion of his crippled that you don't see. And it's possibly adjacent much peculiar than what helium does erstwhile helium has the shot astatine his feet."

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Get Kompany talking astir Belgium and helium radiates excitement. You fishy that if helium could, he'd emotion to beryllium a portion of it adjacent now. Heck, helium knows that Hazard hasn't been Hazard for astir 3 years, and yet helium can't assistance but sing his praises: "Kevin executes the plan, Eden doesn't request a plan, helium is the plan, enactment him connected the transportation and fto him go!" Kompany is simply a grown-up now, a manager and ex-pro, but his anticipation and enthusiasm is that of a fan.

His time occupation is successful Burnley these days, but portion of his bosom and psyche is with his set of small brothers successful Qatar. The Golden Generation person yet to triumph a trophy. Yes, they're bruised and battered and possibly could usage a polish. But conjecture what? Gold doesn't rust. And arsenic Kompany knows, successful a World Cup, you lone request to radiance and shimmer for a mates of moments, arsenic agelong arsenic they are the close moments.