Belgium manager Rudi Garcia has strongly defended his star players after they were labeled as 'has-beens' by a Belgian newspaper.
His comments came after Belgium secured top spot in Group G with a 5-1 victory over New Zealand.
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Garcia Hits Back at Media Criticism
During a post-match press conference, Garcia was visibly annoyed. He adjusted his microphone to ensure his message was clear.
“I really didn’t appreciate them being called has-beens,” he said, referring to an article in La Libre, a French-language Belgian newspaper.
The article compared Kevin De Bruyne to a washed-up Hollywood actor after a poor performance against Iran in Los Angeles.
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“When a nation has players of that calibre, you support them,” Garcia added.
He praised his four main leaders: Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Leandro Trossard.
Leandro Trossard scored twice against New Zealand, including Belgium's first direct goal of the tournament after an own goal against Egypt.
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The goal ended a difficult period of more than 200 minutes of play across 45 attempts for the team.
