The rise of Belgian football

EdenHazard

Anyone know what is behind the rise of Belgium? They have been muck for the last 10 years but then suddenly a golden generation began to emerge, first with the likes of Kompany and Van den boor but now it seems like every day a young Belgian is being linked with a big European club.
They have so much depth, they arguably have a better team on paper than someone like England with like 8 times less population. I think they will be the new Portugal, and like Portugal they seem to lack a real quality striker, maybe Lukaku can at least offer Belgium the physicality and power that Pauleta lacked when it mattered.

I'm backing them for a great showing in Brazil, my dark horse without question.

Brain Stroking

You would say that.

Vurnon San Benito

Been saying the same things to people the last couple of years. They have the makings of a phenomenal team. A team that could inevitably win a trophy.

Apparently there's still a dispute going on in the squad between certain sections of the players, not sure if that's true though. Hope not.

Hope we get to see them fulfill their potential as a squad.

EdenHazard

Doocey wrote: »

Been saying the same things to people the last couple of years. They have the makings of a phenomenal team. A team that could inevitably win a trophy.

Apparently there's still a dispute going on in the squad between certain sections of the players, not sure if that's true though. Hope not.

Hope we get to see them fulfill their potential as a squad.

Ye I've heard this as a reason for their failings in recent years, some of their results in last group were just :rolleyes: but it seems a bit clichéd
I mean most of the team seem like descendant of immigrants anyway so doubt they care too much about the flanders walloon rivalry.

Leiva

You should get a jersey and go to a few games.

But I fear your support may wane for them if they have a dip in form.

:pac:

EdenHazard

Brain Stroking wrote: »

You would say that.

Funny thing is Hazard doesn't even start for them all the time.
I think they benefit from:
Immigrant kids coming of age
Decent domestic league
luck

Dozen Wicked Words

Cliched but I think there are still small fault lines between players from the 2 parts of Belgium, with their own languages, the Flemish (Dutch speaking) and Walloons (French speaking). Not an issue when they are doing well, but I suppose if they hit a bump, its just a tiny thing which may cause a bit of disunity.

MANUTD99

It is a very interesting point and it hasn't gone unnoticed in the football world. It makes me wonder what hard work was done at underage level to bring this new crop to the national team and if there is anything that Ireland could learn.

Hazard was on the bench for the Scotland game which shows what a really good squad of players they have at the minute.

EdenHazard

Buuut I feel it has gone unnoticed until maybe Hazard signed for Chelsea, then people start to realize Chelsea seems to be trying to field a team of Belgians(de bruyne, lukaku, the keeper courtouis, the 2 hazards)

inforfun

EdenHazard wrote: »

Funny thing is Hazard doesn't even start for them all the time.
I think they benefit from:
Immigrant kids coming of age
Decent domestic league
luck

If it is up to the Belgians, we will have a combined Dutch/Belgian league tomorrow.
Their league is anything but decent.

As for their national team. If you look at the players they have, they certainly have underperformed in recent years.
But where they have 4 quality central defenders (Kompany/Vermaelen/Vertonghen and Alderweireld) they lack quality left and right backs, forcing them to play central defenders there.

Reason for their recent decent players? For a good part that has been due to a lot them being picked up by Dutch clubs in the past for their youth teams.

MANUTD99

EdenHazard wrote: »

Buuut I feel it has gone unnoticed until maybe Hazard signed for Chelsea, then people start to realize Chelsea seems to be trying to field a team of Belgians.

Everybody had tried to sign Hazard for the last couple of seasons, Kompany, Vermaelen, Dembele, Fellaini, Defour have all been on the radar the last few seasons.

Ares

They'll hit their peak at Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018.

For Euro 16 they're priced at 25/1. For World Cup 2018 they're priced at 66/1. I'll be all over that soon enough. Great possibility to trade out.

Latchy

Stating the obvious I know but I think they along with Sweden and Germany away will see off Ireland's world cup hopes .

EdenHazard

Latchy wrote: »

Stating the obvious I know but I think they along with Sweden and Germany away will see off Ireland's world cup hopes .

?

U mixing up with Austria dude?

dreamers75

http://www.nzs.si/resources/files/doc/dokumenti/ostali_dokumenti/Mladinski_napredek_Belgija.pdf


this mostly

MANUTD99

Latchy wrote: »

Stating the obvious I know but I think they along with Sweden and Germany away will see off Ireland's world cup hopes .

why would they see off Ireland's World Cup hopes when we are not even in the same group?

EdenHazard

Did they ever have a good team before? I remember Wilmotts he was like their star player for years.

MANUTD99

Could somebody give an insight into the Belgium domestic league? What other country is it on par to?, revenue, professionalism,attendance,youth set up etc etc

Latchy

MANUTD99 wrote: »

why would they see off Ireland's World Cup hopes when we are not even in the same group?

Opps ,sorry... I got my Austria mixed up with my Belgium .I do remember when a dodgy free kick awarded to Belgium in the last minute during the 82 world cup qualifiers was crucial in Ireland not making it to the finals that year

EdenHazard

Well inforfun has said it sucks, but I think they're doing well for their population, teams like Anderlecht compete in Europe, not bad considering the country is so close to 4 of the major european leagues.

EdenHazard

Latchy wrote: »

Opps ,sorry... I got my Austria mixed up with my Belgium .I do remember when a dodgy free kick awarded to Belgium in the last minute during the 82 world cup qualifiers was crucial in Ireland not making it to the finals that year

and they beat ireland is france 98 playoff(before my time but ive heard )

MANUTD99

Latchy wrote: »

Opps ,sorry... I got my Austria mixed up with my Belgium .I do remember when a dodgy free kick awarded to Belgium in the last minute during the 82 world cup qualifiers was crucial in Ireland not making it to the finals that year

I know the game you talk about.

Latchy

EdenHazard wrote: »

and they beat ireland is france 98 playoff(before my time but ive heard )

Yeah

there's been some crucial matches between the two country's over the years including a 2-2 draw in Brussels (I think around 86 ) when a Liam Brady peno kept us in the hunt for qualification .

RikkFlair

Belgium were a great team in the 80s (3rd place at World Cup 86 I think? Or maybe 4th) and still regularly qualified for major tournaments until 2002. 10 years in the doldrums but now beginning to see real quality players coming through.

Any Belgian players with Irish grannies?

LuckyLloyd

Thread should be titled "The return of Belgian football".

Semi Finalists at the 1986 World Cup.

EdenHazard

So if South Korea suddenly sees a golden generation it will be a return ah im just being pedantic i never knew they were good before.

Anyway the golden generation is lucky they got such a muck group(were they second seeds? if so how, and croatia is a weak top seed), maybe it was the luck they needed to push on and get confidence.

Latchy

RikkFlair wrote: »

Belgium were a great team in the 80s (3rd place at World Cup 86 I think? Or maybe 4th) and still regularly qualified for major tournaments until 2002. 10 years in the doldrums but now beginning to see real quality players coming through.

Referees decisions in important matches were cruel to Ireland over the years and that Irish team witch drew 2-2 also included Stapelton ,Moran and O Leary knew how to give the opposition a game ...what we could do with some of those type players now .

titan18

EdenHazard wrote: »

Did they ever have a good team before? I remember Wilmotts he was like their star player for years.

There was Enzo Scifo in the 80s/90s who was rated quite highly

efb

They are in the Wales/Scotland qualifying group for Rio yes?

efb

Yes Group A- they look a savage team on paper. Tommy Gunner and Two's Kompany provide a formidable centre back pairing.

But Serbia and Croatia stand in their way

Latchy

titan18 wrote: »

There was Enzo Scifo in the 80s/90s who was rated quite highly

There was also Nico Classen at Spurs who after much expectation was a bit of a failure

LuckyLloyd

EdenHazard wrote: »

i never knew they were good before

They were a really good European side during the 80's. Runners up in the 1980 European Championship and fourth at the 1986 World Cup as I mentioned.

They qualified for every world cup from 1982 to 2002, and only failed to make it out of their group once during that spell.

If anything:

- their dip the past decade has been the surprising thing;
- this team may be talented, but they have yet to qualify for a finals;

Mars Bar

They changed the way their youth system is laid out.

I'll be damned if I can't find the pdf I had outlining how their system works. I had it during the week!

dahat

22/1 to win Euro 2016,massive price if they improve as they should,Rio i think may come too soon

Dempsey

Mars Bar wrote: »

They changed the way their youth system is laid out.

I'll be damned if I can't find the pdf I had outlining how their system works. I had it during the week!

When ya find it, could ya email it to the FAI? Sound! :pac:

Mars Bar

Dempsey wrote: »

When ya find it, could ya email it to the FAI? Sound! :pac:

:pac:

It was in pretty bad English. It read like a google translation. They don't play 7 or 9 a side at youth level. They go 5v5, 8v8 and 11v11.

Nuri Sahin

EdenHazard wrote: »

Anyone know what is behind the rise of Belgium? They have been muck for the last 10 years but then suddenly a golden generation began to emerge, first with the likes of Kompany and Van den boor but now it seems like every day a young Belgian is being linked with a big European club.
They have so much depth, they arguably have a better team on paper than someone like England with like 8 times less population. I think they will be the new Portugal, and like Portugal they seem to lack a real quality striker, maybe Lukaku can at least offer Belgium the physicality and power that Pauleta lacked when it mattered.

I'm backing them for a great showing in Brazil, my dark horse without question.

They've been a dark horse for 2 years for many people.

Nuri Sahin

inforfun wrote: »

If it is up to the Belgians, we will have a combined Dutch/Belgian league tomorrow.
Their league is anything but decent.

As for their national team. If you look at the players they have, they certainly have underperformed in recent years.
But where they have 4 quality central defenders (Kompany/Vermaelen/Vertonghen and Alderweireld) they lack quality left and right backs, forcing them to play central defenders there.

Reason for their recent decent players? For a good part that has been due to a lot them being picked up by Dutch clubs in the past for their youth teams.

You watch Eredivisie footy inforfun. Do you rate Alderweireld out of curiosity?

Liam O

They've done jack shít, when they actually do something you can talk about their "rise".

FatherTed

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

They were a really good European side during the 80's. Runners up in the 1980 European Championship and fourth at the 1986 World Cup as I mentioned.

They qualified for every world cup from 1982 to 2002, and only failed to make it out of their group once during that spell.

If anything:

- their dip the past decade has been the surprising thing;
- this team may be talented, but they have yet to qualify for a finals;

I will always have a hatred for Belgium after what happened in the 1982 WC qualifer in Brussels with the ref disallowing Frank Stapleton's perfectly good goal. Then with 2 minutes to go that f-ker Gerets dives just outside the box and Vandereycken whacks in the ball off the crossbar and Ceulemans nods in the rebound to win the game. We finished a point behind them and they qualified for the WC, we should have gone instead. May they all rot in hell! Probably the best ever Irish team (on paper) with Brady, Stapleton, Lawrenson, O'Leary, Whelan at the peak of their careers.

Rant over.

LuckyLloyd

FatherTed wrote: »

I will always have a hatred for Belgium after what happened in the 1982 WC qualifer in Brussels with the ref disallowing Frank Stapleton's perfectly good goal. Then with 2 minutes to go that f-ker Gerets dives just outside the box and Vandereycken whacks in the ball off the crossbar and Ceulemans nods in the rebound to win the game. We finished a point behind them and they qualified for the WC, we should have gone instead. May they all rot in hell! Probably the best ever Irish team (on paper) with Brady, Stapleton, Lawrenson, O'Leary, Whelan at the peak of their careers.

Rant over.

I know, sick. Robbed. Happened before I was born, but the footage is still annoying somehow!!

dfx-

dooferoaks wrote: »

Cliched but I think there are still small fault lines between players from the 2 parts of Belgium, with their own languages, the Flemish (Dutch speaking) and Walloons (French speaking). Not an issue when they are doing well, but I suppose if they hit a bump, its just a tiny thing which may cause a bit of disunity.

What happens if Belgium as a country doesn't exist by 2016/2018 with that ever-rumoured split?

Father Damo

Latchy wrote: »

Opps ,sorry... I got my Austria mixed up with my Belgium .I do remember when a dodgy free kick awarded to Belgium in the last minute during the 82 world cup qualifiers was crucial in Ireland not making it to the finals that year

Not to mention their league import Olivera scoring the winner in the 1997 play off. Have always been of the opinion that playing foreign league imports should be banned.

kitakyushu

Liam O wrote: »

They've done jack shít, when they actually do something you can talk about their "rise".

No harm getting in there early. I remember when I was a kid Holland were hyped to the heavens before Euro 88 despite not having qualified for anything for about 10 years. First time back and they win the tournament.

But that said, if people are bigging up Belgium now, imagine what it'll be like when/if they actually quality.

Rekop dog

dahat wrote: »

22/1 to win Euro 2016,massive price if they improve as they should,Rio i think may come too soon

It's not a massive price at all, and who in their right mind would lock money up 4 years before an event?

RandolphEsq

Around 15 years ago there were astro pitches set up all around the urban areas. Kids got playing, kids got good.

grenache

Belgium is similar to Switzerland. Both small but very open and cosmopolitan European countries with a big immigrant population. The two nations are also the headquarters of several international organisations.

As the Belgium players have already been mentioned, let me introduce you to Switzerland, who have some terrific guys too - the likes of Lichsteiner of Juve, Inler and Dzemaili of Napoli, Shaquiri of Bayern and Derdiyok of Hoffenheim. They're not as talented a group as the Belgians, and maybe lacking a prolific front man. But they did win the Under-17 World Cup in 2009 and reached the final of the Under-21 European championship, so there is obviously quality at Hitzfeld’s disposal.

The Swiss should qualify as winners of Group E, with only an inferior Norway side posing any kind of threat to them.

One to watch out for in Brazil for sure.

_blank_

Mars Bar wrote: »

They changed the way their youth system is laid out.

I'll be damned if I can't find the pdf I had outlining how their system works. I had it during the week!

Dempsey wrote: »

When ya find it, could ya email it to the FAI? Sound! :pac:

Mars Bar wrote: »

:pac:

It was in pretty bad English. It read like a google translation. They don't play 7 or 9 a side at youth level. They go 5v5, 8v8 and 11v11.

Thread reading fail, it was already posted in this very thread.

dahat

Rekop dog wrote: »

It's not a massive price at all, and who in their right mind would lock money up 4 years before an event?

Sure why not?Small stakes ,it aint like any sane punter would put huge money on...

Melion

I have backed them at 100/1 for 2014 and at 33/1 for 2016. Did both bets a few months ago, think I posted on here when I did so.

I think a lot of the reason behind the rise is euro 2000 which was co-held in Belgium, it would have peaked interest in the sport and they are seeing the return now.

ArmaniJeanss

dfx- wrote: »

What happens if Belgium as a country doesn't exist by 2016/2018 with that ever-rumoured split?

If its an amicable split (and I can't see the Belgians having a civil war) then they'd likely play on as a joint team for a few campaigns whilst the structures of two distinct FAs are put in place.
Much like how Slovakia/CzechRep continued as one team for about 3 years after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.