The Espoirs play a decisive play-off for the Euro without… 15 of the best Belgian U21s: “We are going to raise awareness among the youngest”

If Mika Godts (Ajax) and Christian Ravych (Cercle) had to withdraw due to injury, it is especially the siphoning of the A team which hurts this time. From the eleven who won in Kazakhstan on September 10, five players are with the Devils for this November gathering (Killian Sardella, Maarten Vandevoordt, Samuel Mbangula, Matte Smets and Malick Fofana, ultimately injured and forfeited).

A list that we don’t need to repeat to Hugo Siquet, he knows it. The Bruges right back is the most experienced player among the U21s, with his 23 caps. “It’s true that we lack experience for this important duelrecognizes the one who has more playing time with the Espoirs national team than with Club Bruges since September. Afterwards, we are used to having a team in U21 that evolves a lot depending on the circumstances from one meeting to the next. It’s a bit like the principle of a group that can take you to A.”

Euro U21 2025 Qualifications – Hugo Siquet hopes to relaunch with the Espoirs: “Mentally, it’s very difficult”

Siquet still feels that he will have to speak to the group by Friday. By targeting the youngest and most inexperienced. “I hope everyone is aware of the importance of these two matches against the Czech Republic. The oldest of the core, like Eliot (Matazo, 20 caps)Sleepy (Lammens, 7 caps)Mandela (Keita, 10 caps, captain) and I will do everything to make them aware. We’re going to explain to them what it’s like to play a U21 Euro (Editor’s note: Siquet, Matazo, Lammens and Keita were present at the Euro U21 in 2023). We will tell them to dare to show their qualities when they are on the pitch.”

Two of the neophytes show no concern. Even no stress. “I don’t feel any doubt in the groupexplains Matteo Dams, the left back who is exploding at PSV this season. A lot of players don’t have much in the U21 national team but many of us already have some club experience. This will inevitably have repercussions on the ground.”

“I agreecontinues Norman Bassette, the replacement striker at Coventry (English D2). There are around forty players being followed for this U21 selection. They all have quality. Some are not here this time, but the new ones are arriving with great appetite. I was hoping to be taken back to the rally before, and that wasn’t the case. Now that I’m here, I really want to show what I can do.”

A gathering before, in October, where Swerts could count on more experience, but where his players had cracked under pressure against Hungary, in the final meeting of the group (0-1 defeat). They were only saved by the other results of the day to still qualify for this jump-off. A wake-up call before challenging the Czechs where almost all the players play in the country.

Even weakened, the Imps will be favorites in the double duel on Friday and Tuesday. But the staff must sometimes dream of the eleven that could be aligned if Tedesco had left all the U21s at Swerts’ disposal. There are… ten in the core of the Devils: Vandevoordt, Sardella, Smets, Mbangula but also Arthur Vermeeren, Roméo Lavia, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Johan Bakayoko, Zeno Debast and Arne Engels. If we add the injured Jérémy Doku, Koni De Winter, Aster Vranckx, Julien Duranville and Joaquin Seys, we arrive at fifteen absent!