Like the Blues who were annoyed by their first coach trip to Germany, Belgium, the next opponent of the French team in the 8th finals of the Euro on Monday (6 p.m.), also deplored the length of the journey to reach the stadium in Stuttgart on Wednesday evening before their match against Ukraine (0-0).
Trips that make you cringe. Like their opponent from the French team on Monday in the round of 16 of the Euro, Belgium points the finger at the organization, and in particular the police escort on Wednesday evening. In front of the media on Wednesday evening, coach Domenico Tedesco pointed out the late arrival of the delegation bus before the match against Ukraine. Like Didier Deschamps, the boss of the Belgian team fumed against an escort who stopped at red lights and who did not move quickly enough on the road. The Belgians finally arrived 1h15 from kick-off.
National teams “must adapt” to local contexts, UEFA reminds
Today, the Stuttgart police wanted to put the facts into context. They said they had warned the delegation that the travel time to get to the stadium would be longer. According to police representatives, Belgium did not listen to these statements in its pre-match planning.
Overall, several teams pointed the finger at the organization of the competition in Germany for a few elements which did not please, particularly with certain selectors. Members of UEFA also recall that this Euro is a phase of transition towards “a new world” for European football and that the selections and in particular the coaches “must adapt” to local contexts. For its round of 16 against Belgium, the French team will travel to Düsseldorf by plane.
