'Zidane needs to maintain consistency!' - Mark van Bommel delivers mixed review of France despite praising Kylian Mbappe & Michael Olise
Van Bommel acknowledges French individual brilliance
Ahead of the highly anticipated UEFA Nations League meeting between Belgium and France, Van Bommel has taken time to analyse the strengths of Les Bleus. Speaking to the media on Sunday, the Belgian boss was quick to identify the sheer volume of world-class talent available to his counterpart, Zinedine Zidane, recalling how Belgium lost the initial clash 1-0 on home soil following an 88th-minute moment of individual brilliance from Michael Olise.
Specifically, the Dutchman pointed to the impact of the nation's biggest names who have recently shone on the international stage. 'With the qualities individual, they can decide the fate of a match,' he explained. He cited the recent exploits of Kylian Mbappe during the trip to Turkiye and the emergence of Olise, who proved to be a handful for the Belgian defence in their previous encounter. Despite this admiration, Van Bommel suggests that relying solely on moments of magic is a dangerous game at the highest level of European football.
A tactical warning for Zidane
While the individual highlights have been impressive, Van Bommel believes Zidane has a significant task on his hands to ensure the team functions as a cohesive unit over a long period - especially with top spot at stake in Group A2, where France lead on seven points, narrowly ahead of second-placed Belgium (six points), Italy in third (four points), and bottom-placed Turkiye yet to open their account.
Van Bommel was direct about the expectations facing Zidane, who succeeded Didier Deschamps this summer after his historic 14-year reign featuring the 2018 World Cup title. 'Zidane must maintain his performance constant with all the staff at his disposal,' he remarked, hoping to exploit any French vulnerability while harboring frustration over past results: 'we should have taken a point in Brussels.'
Belgium grapple with major selection issues
Van Bommel's task is made significantly harder by the absence of several key figures in his own starting eleven. The Red Devils will have to navigate this clash without the creativity and leadership of their most influential duo in the middle of the park. Both Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans are set to watch Monday night's showdown from home, having picked up suspensions following yellow cards in Friday's 3-0 victory over Turkiye.
Discussing the impact of these missing players, Van Bommel was candid about the difficulty of the situation he faces. 'Yes much. I have to replace my best player and my captain. It's not easy. My team can assume that. The most important thing is that everyone knows what they have to do. And for that, I am very confident. It will be necessary to be very good defensively, not to concede many chances, otherwise it will be very difficult,' the coach explained.
A new managerial era and Nations League history
This marks Van Bommel's first international managerial role, having previously cut his teeth in club football with PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg, and Royal Antwerp. The former Dutch midfielder took charge of Belgium this summer, succeeding Rudi Garcia, who stepped down after guiding the Red Devils to the World Cup quarter-finals before being eliminated by Spain.
The Red Devils are eager to turn the tide in the UEFA Nations League after failing to advance beyond the group stage last season - where they were also drawn in a demanding group alongside both France and Italy. Belgium's finest performance in the competition came during the 2020-21 campaign, when they reached the final four and ultimately finished in fourth place.
