- Tielemans replaces De Bruyne as captain
- Napoli playmaker says there was no voting
- Lukaku & Courtois also overlooked by Garcia
Belgium head coach Garcia called the senior members of the squad, which included De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois, and notified them of his decision to hand the armband to the Aston Villa star. De Bruyne claims they weren’t asked for their opinion but says he is fine with the manager’s choice.
Tielemans’ selection as the Belgium captain didn’t come right away. Since his appointment as coach in January, Garcia rotated the captaincy quite a few times among the players before going ahead with Tielemans as the permanent choice. The ex-Anderlecht and Leicester midfielder’s age and strong rapport within the squad makes him an ideal leader who links the “golden generation” of stars with the younger players in the squad.
Speaking after his team’s 6-0 win against Lichtenstein, De Bruyne told Sporza of the captaincy: “He spoke with me and Romelu Lukaku earlier this week and told us his decision. That’s okay. There wasn’t a vote, you know. The coach has made a decision that could last for several years. It’s a long-term choice, for consistency.”
De Bruyne, Lukaku and Courtois have all worn the captain’s armband over the last few years and Garcia says he still relies on the trio to support the 28-year-old captain.
“He has a good relationship with everyone in the group,” Garcia said of Tielemans. “He enjoys unanimity within the group. Even though other guys remain important leaders, like Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku… but Youri gets the armband.”
Tielemans reacted: “There are few things more beautiful in a career than this. There were five names and I’m the chosen one. It wouldn’t have made any difference to me. I’ll always be the same. I’m proud, that’s for sure, but it won’t change my personality.”nn
Belgium will next face Kazakhstan in the World Cup qualifiers on September 8.
