Confronted with a statement by Van Gaal about putting pressure on the Belgian team, Martinez reacted spiky. “Did Van Gaal say we didn’t press hard enough? He also said that Noa Lang deserved the Golden Ball more than Kevin De Bruyne… I’m not going to answer other national coaches. Sometimes we push really hard. But the hard thing about international football is that a block of 75 games takes 6 years, so it’s hard to find a line. We didn’t do well enough against the Netherlands, but our success does not depend on our pressure, but what we do with and without the ball.”
Misunderstood
However, in his zeal to get his revenge on Van Gaal, Martinez misinterpreted his colleague’s statement. The Dutch national coach stated that the Golden Ball should go to Kevin De Bruyne in his eyes. “Because he is a midfielder, he does not easily become the Player of the Year. But for me he is the Player of the Year. But usually the Golden Ball goes to attackers,” said the Orange national coach, who jokingly added that Noa Lang, about whom he spoke just before, might have had a better chance as an attacker. However, it was absolutely clear to all listeners that Van Gaal was sincere in his opinion that in his view the Golden Ball should go to De Bruyne.
“Important that we use the match against the Netherlands in the following matches”
In the run-up to the Nations League match with Poland, Martinez looked back at the confrontation with the Orange. The national coach of the Red Devils thought, on reflection, that the Belgians in Brussels had not been so much less than the Dutch national team. “It’s important to look back on the game. The first 25 minutes were very strong, we were in control of the game. And suddenly our defensive intensity dropped. But you defend in modern football with eleven players, so that is not only due to the defense. If you look at the physical stats, you can see that the problem wasn’t there, it’s clear that we really wanted to win. The match was actually more even than you might think when you look at the result. Now it is important that we use the match against the Netherlands in the next matches.”
Lukaku
The national coach of the Red Devils believes there is a good chance that he will no longer be able to rely on Romelu Lukaku during this international match, who dropped out against the Netherlands with ankle complaints. “The medical results were not as bad as we expected. He does not play against Poland and Wales. There is a very small chance that he will make it to the last game, but I don’t expect him to play again.”