Rudi García: "Against Spain, mistakes cannot be made and we made a few"

Belgium's coach, Rudi García, lamented his team's mistakes and the controversial handball by Rodri after losing to Spain in the World Cup.

Belgium's coach, Rudi García, spoke to the media after his team's elimination at the hands of Spain in the World Cup. The French coach, visibly affected but proud of his players, analysed the key points of the match.

A match marked by controversy

García pointed out that the match was evenly matched and that his players competed on equal terms. "I told them that we could be very proud of what we did. We looked Spain in the eye," he stated.

The coach was critical of the referee's performance. "The referee did not see the handball by Rodri on VAR. It was a ball that put us in a disadvantageous situation," he explained, referring to a play that could have changed the course of the match.

"Against Spain, mistakes cannot be made and we made a few," he concluded, acknowledging that their own errors also weighed on the result.

Uncertain future for the coach

When asked about his future at the helm of the Belgian team, García avoided commenting. "This is not the time to ask me that. I am very disappointed for those who will not return to the national team," he replied.

The coach noted that the assessment of the World Cup will be made later. "We will make the assessment after the World Cup, but now is not the time to address that topic. We believed we could eliminate the Spanish team. We did everything, but it was not enough," he added.

Courtois' injury, another setback

Another topic García addressed was the muscle injury of Thibaut Courtois, which forced the goalkeeper to be substituted during the match. "This is part of high-level sport. We did not want to risk aggravating the injury, and that is why I made that decision," he explained.

"I spoke with Courtois and he did not mention anything else to me. Unfortunately, he could not finish the match. He is one of the best, but he was not at a hundred percent and muscle injuries can accumulate," he detailed.

García acknowledged that having Courtois is a plus for the team. "With him, we are stronger, but I have nothing more to say," he concluded.

The Belgian national team bids farewell to the World Cup with the feeling that they could have caused an upset, but mistakes and lack of precision prevented them from advancing to the next round. Belgian fans, who massively supported the team, will have to wait at least four years for another opportunity.