After the referee’s final whistle which ended the Belgium – Ukraine match (0-0), other whistles were heard coming from the stands. The supporters of the Red Devils have badly digested this meeting which can be described as bland, very bland. The fans responsible for the booing were widely criticized for the lack of support for the national team players. They therefore decided to send them an open letter to explain their actions and discontent.
The letter begins like this: “know that we are proud to be qualified, that we are proud of you, that we believe in you and that we are convinced that, all together, we can eliminate France this Monday.“A sweet mix of praise and hope that puts into context the fans’ love for Belgian players.
If the benevolent scene is set, the letter does not take long to get to the heart of the matter, the hissing: “You have accustomed us to beautiful play, to being dominant, to being on the move, to playing with grit, with desire and we have the impression that all these qualities that made you strong have disappeared… How can we explain that during this last match, you do not want to play for victory to finish at the top of your group and fall into a part of the table which would have allowed us supporters, and you, players, to dream of a heroic journey to the final?“
These critics face the very poor game offered by the Belgians against the Ukrainians who almost eliminated the Belgium on several occasions. Frustrated, the supporters made their anger clear and pointed out a “certain cowardice”.
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In the rest of the letter, the supporters say they want to forget this unfortunate event on the condition that the Belgian team offers them their usual, creative and energetic game: “We, the fans, spend fortunes to encourage you. We drive hours, buses, to come to Germany. We will always be there with you and for you, on one condition: to show desire, to be positive on the pitch, to fight for every ball and to give your life for our country.”
The biggest is said. The supporters did not really apologize and preferred to go through explanations. Players therefore know what to expect if they want to maintain the favor of their fans. If the relationship between them seems to have faded a little, the optimism and hope of seeing Belgium go to the final are still present. The supporters recall this in the last sentence of the letter: “The French are way too confident, make them shut their mouths!!”
