The new Garden of Eden: The world looks up and takes notice as Belgium emerge from the shadow of their illustrious neighbours

It wasn’t very long ago that Belgium were considered relative minnows on the international stage. Stuck in a state of turmoil, with a thin squad of average players and a record that would have most managers shiver at the thought, the future looked bleak. But this is no longer the case. After comfortably ousting Wales, 2-0, on Saturday in their World Cup qualifier, we can see a real maturity and patience growing within their team. Couple this with their outstanding first eleven, and a larger squad size; it could be said that we are witnessing the birth of a European superpower.

When one thinks of the great footballing nations of the world, the mind reels off the obvious: Brazil, Germany, Spain, England, and France to name a few. Modern football has been shaped by these national powerhouses, and it seems that those in the elite will never fall from grace. Every generation brings a new crop of outstanding players and, with the right manager at the helm, these nations always challenge for the top honours. This is even translated into club football, with the leagues of England, Italy, Spain and Germany striding above the rest.

A player will emerge from the smaller nations every once in a while, players with such outstanding ability, that the world looks on and almost pities their doomed exploits on the international stage. George Weah for Liberia and Gheorghe Hagi from Romania are such examples of world class talent coming from nations not generally known for producing high calibre players. What is happening in Belgium however is potentially unprecedented on a footballing level; and with the squad at their disposal, their stock will only continue to rise.

Thibaut Courtios, the young goalkeeper signed by Chelsea in 2011, cemented himself as Athletico Madrid’s no. 1 in their Europa Cup winning side last year. In defence they have the captain of Manchester City, Vincent Kompany; as well as Arsenal’s superb centre-back and skipper, Thomas Vermaelen, and Tottenham’s solid new signing Jan Vertonghen.

The midfield is packed full of young, exciting talent, with the mercurial Eden Hazard the stand out player. With Marouane Fellaini, who has started the Premier league season brilliantly (much to the dismay of Manchester Utd, who fell prey to a Fellaini master-class on the first day), Axel Witsel, signed for £32 million by Zenit St Petersburg, Tottenham’s new recruit Moussa Dembele, and Chelsea’s Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium are well stocked in almost every area.

 

In the way of strikers, Romelu Lukaku is something of a celebrity for the Belgians, having had a reality TV show made during his rise to fame with Anderlecht. Dubbed as ‘the new Drogba’, he has struggled to make an impact at Chelsea, but he is only 19 years old, and he looks a formidable prospect. He has already played 17 times for his country, scoring 3 times.

What is even more impressive is that these players are all under 26. 

 

There is a feeling of real optimism in the Belgian public, with tickets being sold out within a few hours for the next home game against Croatia. While it can be said that greater emphasis has been placed on the development on the youth setups by Belgian clubs, most fans and journalists are putting their apparent ‘golden generation’ of players down to a matter of luck, more than judgement. It is this unexpected rebirth that makes Belgium such a mouth-watering, footballing prospect.

Following Belgium’s victory over Wales, the players are refusing to be swept along with the hype. Manager Marc Wilmots said, "We've done nothing yet. There was no sense of elation among the players. Everyone is focused on the next match against Croatia." A programmed response for the throng of journalists who clamoured to the match, looking for further on the Belgian revolution, but it is clear is that Belgium are looking to finally announce themselves on the World stage, and in a big way.

By tgatehouse

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