Belgian coach Domenico Tedesco believes that slow travel from the hotel to the stadium affected the preparation of the Belgian national team.

Belgium once again disappointed with a goalless draw against Ukraine. Domenico Tedesco blamed the slow traffic conditions from the hotel to the stadium for affecting his team.

Tedesco expressed his disappointment with the local organization, pointing out that the delayed arrival at the stadium disrupted their pre-match preparation.

Tedesco said: “We arrived at the stadium in circumstances I have never seen before. It took us an hour to travel from the hotel with police escort. The roads were completely clear, yet they reduced speed to 20-25 km/h. All traffic lights turned red. I had two minutes to talk for preparation, and we had to shorten the warm-up time. It’s unbelievable, unbelievable.”

The Belgian coach also highlighted other disturbances that he felt weakened his team’s performance, stating: “Everything is happening here. Everything is allowed. We could delay for an hour and not delay the match by 15 minutes. There was a laser pen shone in our eyes many times in the first match, and we still made it through the qualifiers, that’s why I’m very proud of the players.”

Despite advancing to the knockout stage of Euro 2024 with the draw, there are still many expectations for better on-field performance. The Red Devils appeared sluggish and inefficient in attack.

While they progressed through qualifiers, Belgian fans expressed dissatisfaction by booing the team after the final whistle, prompting captain Kevin De Bruyne to lead his teammates down the tunnel.

Tedesco acknowledged the fans’ reaction: “Of course, we were a bit surprised. For us, qualifying is very important. We lost the first match and then everything wasn’t as easy because if you concede a goal, you’re out. I have no message for the fans other than we need them.”

Belgium will face France in the round of 16, considered a tough hurdle that Tedesco and his team must overcome.