Belgium Bows Out Of Euro 2024 Following Narrow Defeat To France

Domenico Tedesco expressed his belief that Belgium were unfortunate to be eliminated from Euro 2024 after their defeat by France in the round of 16. The Red Devils, who also exited early from the 2022 World Cup, faced another setback as Jan Vertonghen's own goal five minutes before the end sealed their fate in Dusseldorf.

Despite the disappointment, Kevin De Bruyne, who scored one of Belgium's two goals in Germany, felt his team gave their all at Dusseldorf Arena. "We did everything to try to win," said the Red Devils captain. "We were five minutes from extra time. We had chances, not so many. Then they score, and there isn't enough time to react."

The 1980 finalists exited the tournament having failed to score in three of their four matches, except for their 2-0 victory over Romania. Romelu Lukaku was unable to find the net and saw three goals disallowed following VAR reviews. Tedesco empathised with Lukaku and reflected on what could have been.

"You can't really say that we were lucky in this tournament if you see the first games and the kind of goal we conceded tonight," Tedesco told reporters during his post-match press conference. "If you think that Romelu will go home with zero goals after these kinds of games, and also Jeremy Doku with zero goals and zero assists - for me, it's unbelievable because they did well, and they deserved more."

Aged 37 years and 68 days, Vertonghen became the oldest player to score an own goal at the European Championship and the first Belgian to do so. This unfortunate record added to Belgium's woes as they struggled to make an impact in front of goal throughout the tournament.

Tedesco highlighted Lukaku's importance to the team despite his tough tournament. "We have a big trust in Romelu; he showed in several moments that he's the one who can really take the team to another level, that he can score," Tedesco said. "He's always there and dangerous for opponents."

Defensive Efforts Not Enough

De Bruyne acknowledged that while Belgium defended well for most parts of the game against France, a deflection led to their downfall. "We were defending pretty well, but then there was a deflection," he said. "It's a shame, but that's football. The team really did everything we could do."

Tedesco lamented Lukaku's lack of goals despite his efforts. "Normally, he's probably the leading scorer after the group stage," Tedesco noted. "But you leave this game with zero goals, so it's not easy."

The Belgian squad now faces a period of reflection as they look ahead to future tournaments with hopes of better luck and improved performances.