Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne decided to continue playing internationally as long as he remains passionate about it, and stated that he did not think about withdrawing from the national team after the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite being the last player from the golden generation of Belge.
De Bruyne (35 years old) has played 124 international matches since his first participation with the national team as a teenager in 2010 under the leadership of George Leekins, and he is expected to add more matches to his tally under the leadership of Mark van Bommel, the new coach of Belgium.
The new era for the national team begins under Van Bommel's leadership by facing Italy in Rome, next Friday, followed by other matches in the European Nations League against France (two matches) and Turkey during the next three weeks.
In recent weeks, Axel Witsel retired from international football, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was confirmed absent from the upcoming Nations League matches, but De Bruyne told reporters on Tuesday that he had never thought about leaving the national team now.
“The coach asked me what I wanted to do,” he said. My feeling after the World Cup was that I had enjoyed myself, and a number of players asked me to stay. I was also feeling good physically and still wanted to play. This is the most important motivation. “And as long as I still have that drive, why shouldn’t I keep going?”
De Bruyne did not feel the need for arrangements like the one Courtois made by temporarily moving away from the Nations League.
De Bruyne said: “There will come a day when I say I no longer need this, but this matter does not concern me at the moment. “I really think these two years will be my last two years,” but he added: “I feel fine now; "So we'll see."
De Bruyne said that he was impressed by the new coach, Van Bommel, and said: “A typical Dutchman, very direct in his dealings. "I like that. He's someone who tells things like they are."
The Napoli midfielder added: “We now have to try to make a good start, and after 4 matches we will know what we can achieve.” I think my level is very good. I am completely satisfied with the way I play. I was surprised at how fit I was when I returned in August and how strong my performance was. Now played 3 consecutive 90 minute matches. If I can continue like this, that would be great for me. It's very positive. My level compared to what it was 10 years ago? “There is a difference, but this is also normal.”
Real Madrid expressed its desire to appoint a new president of the Spanish Football League in light of what it described as unacceptable statements issued by the current president of the league, Javier Tebas, as he said earlier Tuesday that the allegations related to arbitration bias against Real Madrid belong to “another galaxy.”
After losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid last Sunday, Real Madrid said in the headline of the match report on its website: “Terrible refereeing decides the derby.”
Real expressed its extreme anger over Atletico defender Cristian Romero not being expelled after he ran over Jude Bellingham, and also complained about Lee Kang-in's interference with Federico Valverde.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho harshly criticized referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias and those who chose him to manage the match.
The Portuguese coach said that his team can win the title “if they allow us to compete fairly.”
Real Madrid occupies fourth place, six points behind defending champion Barcelona after seven rounds so far this season.
Tebas said on Monday that the narrative promoted by Real Madrid is just a smokescreen to cover up shortcomings on the field.
Tebas said on social media: “The claim that referees are being instructed to be biased against Real Madrid is like living in another galaxy.”
He added: “Suggesting the existence of a conspiracy is easier than explaining what is happening on the field.”
Real Madrid responded through a statement on its website in which it condemned Tebas’s statements, indicating that the League needed new leadership.
The statement read: “Our club considers it unacceptable for the President of the Spanish League to exploit his institutional position to continue to discredit and attack Real Madrid.”
He added: “Given this ongoing inappropriate behavior, we believe that professional football in Spain is in dire need of a leader capable of managing it and extracting its full potential while adhering to the basic duty of impartiality.”
Tebas, who describes himself as a Real fan, has been president of the association since 2013, and in December 2023, he ran unopposed for a fourth term, and his current term continues until 2027.
During his presidency, Tebas spoke openly and frequently about disagreements with Real Madrid, while confrontations between the association and the club took place in courtrooms in recent years.
Real Madrid had filed a lawsuit to cancel the decisions taken by the League in 2022 on the grounds that they violated its rights to participate, as it required its exclusion from the oversight body responsible for managing the rights of the league’s audiovisual works. In June, the Spanish Supreme Court issued a ruling in favor of Real Madrid.
Alessandro Romano, the Cagliari player, revealed the reasons for his choice to represent the first Italian national team, after he played for all the Swiss national teams from U-16 to U-20.
Romano, 20, was born and raised in Switzerland to Italian parents, before returning to Italy at the age of 16 and joining Roma's academy from Swiss club Winterthur.
Romano started the season remarkably with Cagliari and scored a goal in his first appearance in the Italian League, attracting the attention of Roberto Mancini, the coach of the Italian national team, who decided to include him in the team’s roster for the first time in preparation for the European Nations League.
Romano told the Swiss newspaper Belk on Tuesday: “I worked every day to reach this moment. Before the start of the preparation period with Cagliari, I worked hard during the summer and prepared in the best possible way, and what is happening now confirms that the work I put in was not in vain.
He added: “I wanted to give everything I had in training and play as many matches as possible.” Before the preparation period, I watched as many Cagliari matches as possible to understand the way coach Fabio Pisacani played, because good preparation is very important to me.
Regarding his choice to represent the Italian national team, he said: “This is what I felt in my heart.” I did not make a list of pros and cons, and I did not think about the team with which I would have more opportunities or the team that recently qualified for a major tournament.
Romano explained that Claudio Ranieri, the current sporting director of the Italian Football Federation and former coach of Roma, contacted him to persuade him to represent the Italian national team.
Romano concluded his speech by saying: “In the end, I made my decision out of the heart, and I chose Italy because I feel that it is the team I want to represent, and not because I refused to represent another team.”
