Hope springs eternal for Belgium

Coach René Vandereycken is looking to stir up some excitement in Brussels as Belgium take on Kazakhstan in their opening UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier.

New coach
Having failed to lead the Red Devils to either UEFA EURO 2004™ or the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Aimé Anthuenis made way for the 53-year-old former Belgian international in January. Vandereycken's first task, it seems, is to get Belgians believing the team is not a spent footballing force. It was a worry that the television rights for tonight's game were sold to VTM for the knockdown price of €50,000 amid a lack of interest from local broadcasters.

Positive start
Vandereycken feels it is important to lift the gloom as soon as possible. "We are especially eager to score early against Kazakhstan, though obviously we always want that," said the ex-KAA Gent, R. Standard de Liège, RWD Molenbeek, RSC Anderlecht, 1. FSV Mainz 05, FC Twente and KRC Genk coach. "They don't know us very well and are not used to such a stadium. That is what we need to exploit from the start."

Goor adamant
Kazakhstan will make their UEFA European Championship debut at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium, and experienced midfielder Bart Goor is adamant it should be an occasion they would rather forget. "At home against Kazakhstan you have to win," he said. "It would be a disaster if we drop points. We must not underestimate the Kazakhs, but if they cause us worries then we have a problem. People might expect a spectacle with lots of goals, but for us only the result counts."

New regime
Goor, 33, is one of two veterans to have survived the change of regime alongside goalkeeper Geert De Vlieger, with Vandereycken keen to blood youngsters like Wim De Decker, Steven Defour, Moussa Dembele, Stijn Stijnen and Thomas Vermaelen in recent friendlies. The hope is the new faces can help Belgium recapture old glories, such as when Vandereycken scored the equaliser in the 1980 European Championship final before Horst Hrubesch's late winner for West Germany.

European glory
Whether Belgium are ready to reach such heights again at UEFA EURO 2008™ remains a moot point, but if Vandereycken can make his countrymen believe they are worthy of a place at European football's top table, he may consider it a job well done.