'I am proud of my players!' - Mark van Bommel stays positive after France crush Belgium

Heavy defeat for Belgium

Belgium were handed a heavy 4-1 defeat by France in the Nations League on Monday, marking a frustrating conclusion to their latest international fixture. Van Bommel's side were ultimately overturned by a ruthless France performance, but the head coach remained steadfastly positive in the immediate aftermath of the result.

Despite conceding four goals against Les Bleus, the Dutch manager delivered a remarkably upbeat assessment of his team's overall display. Rather than dwelling on the defensive collapse, the newly-appointed boss chose to focus on the encouraging tactical signs shown by his squad.

Van Bommel stays positive

Van Bommel was quick to highlight how well his side competed with their illustrious opponents for large portions of the encounter. He felt his players executed his tactical instructions effectively and created significant problems for France before the game slipped away.

"For a long time, we were on equal footing with a semi-finalist of the last World Cup," the Dutchman explained, as quoted by MaxiFoot. "The first ten minutes were complicated, but it went better afterwards. We kept the ball, we were well organised. We showed beautiful things and we scored a sumptuous goal."

France substitutes prove decisive

The contest ultimately unravelled for Belgium in the closing stages, as France's superior squad depth and physical prowess proved too much to handle. Van Bommel openly acknowledged the sheer pace and technical quality of the opposition, noting that their replacements altered the flow of the game.

"They have immense quality, and the substitutes were decisive," he admitted following the defeat. "They move so fast. I am happy with what we showed, and I am proud of my players. I have only been here for two weeks. Of course, the last 15 minutes were a shame. Looking back at the four matches - my first ones with Belgium - there are more positives than negatives."

Focusing on the positives

Despite suffering two defeats at the hands of France during this international break, Belgium have shown tangible signs of progress under their new leadership. Van Bommel has now overseen four matches since taking charge of the national team, managing to secure commanding victories over Italy and Turkey, winning 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.