Van Bommel’s tone, as the report describes it, was measured. “Como jogador e como técnico, você sempre quer ganhar,” he said, before adding: “Não quero sair dizendo que vamos vencer a Eurocopa, embora seja por isso que estamos jogando.”
That feels like the right note for Belgium. This is still a squad with pedigree, but it no longer suits empty slogans. The bigger task is to rebuild conviction, sharpen identity and make the team look coherent again against elite opposition. Promise too much now, and every stumble becomes a crisis.
The other headline was Thibaut Courtois. Van Bommel reportedly made it clear he wants a conversation before any call is made on the goalkeeper’s international future. “Vamos falar primeiro com Thibaut sem fazer julgamento,” he said, with the report adding that talks are expected when Courtois returns to full training.
That is sensible management. Courtois is too important a figure for Belgium to be handled through soundbites, and too complicated a case to be settled in a first press conference. Van Bommel appears to understand that authority sometimes means waiting.
Opening away to Italy is not a gentle introduction. It should reveal quickly whether Van Bommel’s Belgium can be more compact, more aggressive and more emotionally settled. A new manager always brings a reset, but this one may need substance straight away.
After Italy, the next storyline will be just as important: how Belgium handle the rest of the autumn window, including meetings with Turkey and France, and whether Van Bommel’s calm first message starts turning into something more tangible on the pitch.