Belgium’s coach Marc Wilmots is confident and ambitious as his young, talented squad prepares to face South Korea in their final Group H match at the 2014 World Cup. Having already secured qualification for the round of 16 with wins over Algeria and Russia, Wilmots refuses to let the team settle just for the last 16.
In an interview with L’Equipe, Wilmots reflected on the progress made since Belgium’s last World Cup appearance 12 years ago, emphasizing the team’s youth and potential:
“We have a goal. This squad won’t settle for the last 16. Of course, it could be anything from a national holiday to a national drama, but we must keep our feet on the ground. We have a team that wants to play, that will improve throughout the tournament and in the coming years. We’ve been together for six weeks, we’re not fed up yet, and we’re not hitting each other. For me, it’s one of the best World Cups in the world.”
Though he doesn’t openly claim Belgium is aiming for the final, Wilmots stresses a cautious, step-by-step approach:
“My philosophy is to move forward match by match. The Belgian public is happy to see us back in the World Cup. If they ask me if I want to win the tournament? Yes! But in the last 16, it all comes down to details. When you see the match against Russia, we blew up the stadium in the 88th minute. Russia cracked in the last ten minutes, but to play a match you need two.”
With a squad full of players from top European clubs, Wilmots’ Belgium squad aims to go beyond just participating and to make a lasting impact on the world stage.
