He was not surprised by Italy's hat-trick: Van Bommel hints at the secret behind France's downfall
Mark van Bommel, the head coach of Belgium, confirmed that Italy's 3-1 win over France last Thursday was not a surprise to him, pointing to the possibility that the French national team underestimated the abilities of coach Roberto Mancini's side, which contributed to its defeat.
Van Bommel, the former Milan player, spoke during the press conference ahead of the clash between Belgium and Italy, scheduled to take place tomorrow, Sunday evening, in the capital Brussels, as part of the UEFA Nations League competitions, at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Belgium go into the encounter knowing nothing but victory will do if they are to seal a place in the quarter-finals. They sit third in Group One on 9 points, one behind both Italy and France.
Italy, by contrast, need only a draw to book their quarter-final spot, while a win would hand them top place in the group.
Van Bommel spoke about the importance of the match, according to the Italian newspaper "Corriere dello Sport": "It is an important encounter that will determine whether or not we continue our journey. It is a test similar to competing in other tournaments, and an exciting match that we play under pressure. We always prepare in the same way, whether the match is a final or not".
He added: "Victory alone is what matters to us tomorrow, but it is not a final that grants you a title in the end".
Morale is high in the Italian camp after a big 3-1 win over France at the San Siro on Thursday evening. Pio Esposito scored twice, while Zinedine Zidane tasted his first defeat since succeeding Didier Deschamps as France coach, the man who departed after leading Les Bleus to fourth place at the last World Cup.
Belgium's coach gave his verdict on Italy's win: "What the Italian national team produced did not surprise me, and Turkey also deserved a better result against France. Italy is a very strong team, and perhaps the French did not give it enough respect or treated it with complacency, but the result did not surprise me".
Belgium had revived their qualification hopes by coming from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 away from home on Thursday evening, with Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere on target.
To round off his remarks, Van Bommel addressed Romelu Lukaku's fitness for the Italy clash, insisting the Belgian striker will have a part to play whether he starts or comes off the bench.
He said: "He is always an important player, whether he starts the match or comes on as a substitute. He possesses great experience, and it is good to have a player like him in a match played in front of stands packed with fans".
Belgium, of course, beat Italy in the reverse fixture at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, running out 2-0 winners on 25 September through Maxim De Cuyper and Dodi Lukebakio.
