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HomeFootballAl-Nassr, Napoli, Belgium: Garcia replaces Tedesco

Al-Nassr, Napoli, Belgium: Garcia replaces Tedesco

One week after Domenico Tedesco was fired, the Belgian national team has a new coach: Rudi Garcia, who most recently coached SSC Napoli, was without a job for a while.

The much-cited “golden generation”, which protagonists like Kevin De Bruyne could no longer hear enough of at some point, has long been history. That’s why Domenico Tedesco took over the Belgian national team shortly after they were knocked out in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup – until a week ago.

Now a successor has also been announced for the former German vice-champion coach with FC Schalke 04, who is supposed to bring the neighboring country of Germany back to its former performance: Rudi Garcia. The Belgian Football Association officially announced his appointment, and will introduce Garcia on Friday.

The 60-year-old Frenchman most recently coached Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr, as well as the then reigning Italian champions SSC Napoli – albeit with relatively little success. Since then, Garcia has been without a job for over a year.

The relegation play-offs are about to begin

Now the former head coach of AS Roma, Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyon – biggest success: the 2011 French championship with OSC Lille – takes on a national team for the first time in his career.

Tedesco, who actually had a contract running until after the 2026 World Cup, had already failed with the Belgians in the round of 16 at the 2024 European Championship against France. Subsequently, the 39-year-old, who had a media-effective and lasting falling out with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, was unable to stop the sporting decline.

The “Red Devils” lost four of their last five games and now have to play the relegation play-offs (from League A) in the Nations League. The two games against Ukraine (March 20 and 23) will be the first for successor Garcia, so these will be important matches.

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