Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco on Romelu Lukaku, Jérémy Doku and his plans for EURO 2024 – interview
Monday, June 17, 2024
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"Everyone is hungry, but we need to make the atmosphere as positive as possible," says Domenico Tedesco as he prepares Belgium for what he hopes will be a long EURO 2024 campaign.
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Domenico Tedesco's career as a player was insignificant, but as a coach, he has risen high. Having started out in the youth ranks at Stuttgart in his early 20s, the Italian-born tactician was taking charge of men's senior teams by his early 30s, leading Erzgebirge Aue in the German second tier before getting the top job at Schalke.
In Gelsenkirchen, he steered his side to a second-placed finish in the Bundesliga, and after a spell abroad, returned to the top tier with Leipzig. In February 2023, he took command of the Belgian national team following the departure of Roberto Martínez.
On plans for EURO 2024
Tactically we will have to see. That isn't set in stone, but I think what's important is that we create a good atmosphere. I think everyone is hungry, but we need to make the atmosphere as positive as possible, because it's not easy spending a lot of days and weeks together, hopefully it will be several weeks, and that is what we want to focus on above all right now.
I think we have a lot of exciting players, a lot of young players who have taken the next step over the last few months, transferring to bigger clubs, so that is very exciting. We already have a lot of variety. We can be very flexible, depending on who we have available to us. We are already able to play several different ways.
On Romelu Lukaku
He plays an incredibly important role both on and off the pitch. On the pitch, his goals speak for themselves but there's more to him than that. He knows exactly when he should pass if he has his back to goal or if he can turn round and shoot at goal himself. He is dangerous in lots of situations, not just in set pieces, crosses. In the last third of the pitch, he is unpredictable and difficult to defend against. I don't think many defenders would choose to defend against him.
But his importance off the pitch is undoubted because he knows lots of players, particularly young players, whom he can look after and become a sort of mentor to. He concerns himself with many things, he looks after many things in the dressing room, which makes him extremely important.
On Jérémy Doku
He is one of the players Romelu looks after like a mentor. You notice that when they are together on the pitch: he gives him tips time and time again about when to shoot or other things too. They're similar types of players. Jérémy is difficult to defend against too: I don't think a centre half would opt to be in a one-on-one situation with him if he could avoid it. He can change a game because he has the dynamism to do this. He is able to contribute lots to the team and is simply a really nice lad. A small and intelligent lad who knows just what he wants.
On the joys of being a coach
Work on the pitch is the most fun, as was always the case. When you're out on the pitch training, working on things that you've put a lot of thought into, which then come off, either on the training pitch or during the game. As long as that remains the case and the fire is still there, it will always be fun.
On favourites for EURO 2024
France will play an important role, and Portugal played fantastically during qualification as well. Spain, England [and] of course Germany, in their home country, will maybe be the biggest favourites.
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