July 27 \u2013 Mark van Bommel has been named the new manager of Belgium, succeeding Rudi Garcia who led the team to the last eight of the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman signed a two-year contract until Euro 2028. He returns to Belgium following a stint with Antwerp where he led the club to the league and cup double in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBelgium possesses outstanding players and enormous potential,\u201d said Van Bommel. \u201cTogether with my technical staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious, and brave enough to compete with the very best. Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty, and dedication are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Bommel enjoyed success with Antwerp in Belgium, but his managerial track record has been mixed with average stints at both PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg.<\/p>\n
As a player, he featured for FC Barcelona, Bayern M\u00fcnchen and AC Milan and won 79 caps for the Netherlands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boudewijn Zenden and Reinier Robbemond will serve on Van Bommel\u2019s backroom staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Van Bommel\u2019s arrival comes weeks after Spain eliminated Belgium from the World Cup in a tight quarterfinal, the unexpected culmination of a wobbly campaign for the Red Devils.<\/p>\n
They had laboured in the group stages, but clawed their way back against Senegal to engineer an improbable 3-2 in the round of 32 before defeating the United States 4-1 in a match overshadowed by the review of Folarin Balogun\u2019s suspension.<\/p>\n
The Belgian FA issued various statements, but came under fire for not taking a stronger stance against the political interference.<\/p>\n
Belgian FA president Pascale Van Damme refused to talk to the media. A FIFA Council member, she earns $250,000 from the role and attended the FIFA reception at Trump Tower on the eve of the World Cup final.<\/p>\n