Belgium desperately seeking something to unite squad

Belgium’s players, fans, and even some pundits were in a state of shock last Tuesday morning following the defeat by Italy. It was not so much the result itself as the way in which Belgium were outmanoeuvred in all aspects of the game.

Before the match, people had looked at the Belgium team and salivated over names such as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku and compared them with the Italy line-up, which in most people’s eyes — including many Italians — had no equivalent players.

The Italian team was said to be the worst that the country had sent to a major tournament in decades. When Antonio Conte declared that he would be training in Montpellier ahead of the Belgium game rather than in Lyon, reputedly because he feared spies, he was universally mocked.