Lukaku: Belgium stars wanted Thierry Henry as coach

SOCCER WORLD CUP 2022 BELGIUM VS CROATIA

Romelu Lukaku has sensationally revealed that the Belgium squad lobbied for Thierry Henry to take over as head coach following the departure of Roberto Martinez. The Napoli striker did not hold back in his assessment of the previous regime, suggesting that the tactical approach under former head coach Domenico Tedesco was destined for failure from the start.

The campaign for Thierry Henry

In a revealing assessment of the internal dynamics within the Belgian national team, Lukaku has confirmed that the senior players had a specific successor in mind when Martinez stepped down after the 2022 World Cup. Despite the eventual appointment of Tedesco, the dressing room had made their voices heard regarding Arsenal and France legend Henry, who had previously served as an assistant coach for the Red Devils during both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns.

Lukaku explained that the squad wanted a figure who could challenge them and maintain the high standards set during their time as one of the world's top-ranked nations. "We were spoken to in Qatar, after the draw against Croatia [which knocked Belgium out of the group stage]. Everyone was saying: 'Henry is the one we need.' He was going to hold us accountable for our mistakes. When you aim for the top, you don't want people constantly stroking your ego," the striker told La Dernière Heure.

France v Belgium: Round of 16 - UEFA EURO 2024

Tactical failings at Euro 2024

Belgium’s exit at the hands of France in the round of 16 at Euro 2024 was seen as a major disappointment, following an uninspiring group stage that included a stalemate with Ukraine. Lukaku suggests that the players on the pitch knew the tactical instructions provided by Tedesco were not suited to the task at hand, leading to a sense of inevitable failure during the tournament in Germany.

"There was a tactical plan that just wasn't going to work. As a player, you feel that. Ask Kev [De Bruyne]. You tell yourself: this isn't going to work out," Lukaku admitted. "Many of the young players in our core squad knew it too. But they didn't say anything, out of fear of being dropped to the bench. That caused a lot of frustration."

The transition from Roberto Martinez

Lukaku was particularly vocal about the abrupt change in philosophy and atmosphere following the end of the Martinez era. Under the Spaniard, a golden generation enjoyed a prolonged period of dominance and high-scoring victories, highlighted by their historic run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. It is a level of confidence that Lukaku feels has been stripped away in the previous setup, with the stark contrast in dressing room vibe before games appearing to be a major point of contention for the nation's all-time leading goalscorer.

"Under Roberto Martinez, we would walk into the dressing room before a match and the question was: how many goals are we going to score today? I assure you, that is literally what we used to say," Lukaku said. "Martinez would tell us where the spaces would open up, and we would win 3-0, 5-0, 8-1. Fast, sharp, just like that. You play like that for five years straight. And then, boom, clean slate."

Belgium v Slovakia: Group E - UEFA EURO 2024

Uncertainty over Tedesco's methods

The striker also touched upon the initial skepticism that greeted Tedesco’s appointment. He detailed how players performed their own background checks on the manager and identified potential issues before he had even taken charge of his first training session. According to Lukaku, the sudden exclusion of veteran figures only added to the sense of disorientation within the camp.

"When a manager arrives whom we, the players, don't know, we go fishing for information. I assure you that's how it happens. We make phone calls. And we find things out. There were question marks right from the start," he confessed. Reflecting on the squad overhaul, he added: "At the first international break [under Tedesco], Thibaut [Courtois] and I looked around and couldn't see anyone from the old team anymore. It was a shock. Was that the right way to go about things?"