There are relatively few Belgian players who have played in our sector. There are even fewer international players, but Gaëtan Englebert, who played for Tours FC between 2008 and 2010, is one of them.
The defensive midfielder, now manager of RFC Liège (second division), has worn the Red Devils jersey nine times, including once against the French team. It was a few weeks before the 2002 World Cup, terrible for the Blues. The Tricolores also lost 2-1 against Gaëtan Englebert and his teammates.
Gaëtan, do you think there is a real rivalry between France and Belgium?
“Yes, as is often the case between neighbouring countries, nothing more. I think it’s always good-natured. Afterwards, it’s certain that with the last two matches and the results (Belgium’s defeats in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and 2021 Nations League semi-final), there is a rivalry a little greater perhaps than in the past. »
What does this 2018 match represent for the Belgians?
“We’ve talked about it a lot. For me, it represents nothing more than a country that reached the semi-finals despite only having eleven million inhabitants. It’s not bad at all, but we always want more. It’s a magnificent story for the country and it’s true that losing in the semi-finals is always a shame. But the campaign they had there (in Russia) was really of a high level. They finished third and that is more than honorable for a country like Belgium. »
What did this come down to?
“Really not much… Maybe it’s a lack of experience in big tournaments. It’s something that we don’t have in youth and in the first team either, apart from two semi-finals in forty years (1986 and 2018 World Cups). This lack of experience means that there is something missing to go all the way.”
And this year, Belgium’s beginnings were complicated…
“All the teams that have players in the major championships have had difficulties physically and getting into the competition. The most important thing is to arrive ready in the elimination matches. Now is where it starts. »
Do you understand the reaction of the Belgian supporters, who whistled the players during the last match?
“No. The fans don’t analyse things like journalists or football people, but they like to see a team that goes forward. There were one or two corners that weren’t really taken to score at the end of the match, that’s true, but we can understand that. We eliminated Japan in 2018 on a corner that was poorly taken by the Japanese. These are things that you have to be able to play without making mistakes.”
Are you optimistic ahead of Monday’s game?
“What we have shown so far, in terms of chances in front of goal, is not great but it is the same for the French. There are still big differences in quality between the players but it will be the form of the day, confidence and success that will make the difference.”
The liquidation of Tours FC
“I didn’t know at all that Tours FC had been liquidated. I knew that there were financial problems… It’s a shame to see clubs where there was everything to achieve something that, because of bad management, find themselves much lower and in difficulty. It’s everywhere and in Belgium too. It’s a shame for a club where I spent some great years.”
