Analysis

Belgium celebrate their opening goal of the U17 finals, a signal of better things to come in that nation's football (©Sportsfile)

Belgium's new generation

Friday, 11 May 2007

by Paul Safferfrom Nivelles

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Until a few years ago, it was a given that Belgium would qualify for major tournaments. Runners-up in the 1980 UEFA European Championship, 1986 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists; up until 2002 Belgium were staples in these events, with the likes of Enzo Scifo, Jan Ceulemans and Marc Wilmots leading the way. Now they lie fifth in their UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying group, their decline seemingly set in stone. But something is stirring.

'Future that counts'
Yesterday, Belgium played in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-final, their first in a youth competition, losing only on penalties to Spain. The likes of playmaker Eden Hazard and tall midfielder Niels Ringoot shone on a stage containing many of the continent's brightest young stars. OK, so they were the hosts, but they also qualified at U17 and U19 level last year and are also in the U21 finals next month. And this is no coincidence, for in the last six years the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA/KBVB) has totally changed their approach to youth football. URBSFA/KBVB president François De Keersmaecker told uefa.com: "When you are in a period when the A-team is in difficulties it is important to look forward and we are sure we can get good players in."

Falling behind
Marc Van Geersom, head of Belgium's youth teams and at the URBSFA/KBVB since 1988, explains how they went about it. The job began before the 2002 World Cup, when although Belgium reached the last 16, they were well aware of the dearth to come. "Because Belgium always qualified for World Cups and European Championships, we thought everything was OK," Van Geersom said. "But there was gap because other countries were making efforts to develop their youth and we didn't do that for several years."

Total revamp
The first job was to look outside Belgium. "As we are surrounded by the Netherlands, Germany, England and France we looked at what they did and we took the best bits," Van Geersom said. And it meant a total revamp. "We try to play more football," the former goalkeeper explained. "Six years ago [youth players] only played for their clubs, it was not enough. Now we have the 'Top Sports' schools, where they also have 12 hours of football a week, so someone with enough quality can play 20 hours of football a week. We had the schools, then the clubs followed with academies for people who could not go to the Top Sports schools."

Initiatives
But it was not merely a matter of more matches for teenagers. "We took a lot of initiatives," Van Geersom said. "We play a lot of small-sided games, we have an integral quality plan ... with 300 parameters they have to follow." The football they play is a positive, attacking game. Belgium U17 coach Bob Browaeys cites perhaps Europe's most exciting nation at youth level, their semi-final nemeses Spain. "They play marvellous football," Browaeys said. "I don't say we try to imitate the way they play but there are a lot of aspects we also try to put in our game."

Wilmots worries
Six U21 players are in the senior national team, and the main worry now is that they are moving up too quickly. It is a point made by Wilmots, who is showing his commitment to youth football as ambassador for the U17 finals. "The players are very good and the U21s have qualified for the EURO, and have made the first team," the veteran of four World Cups said. "But these are young players. It is good to see them against the best European players of their own age, but there is a gap to senior level and there is much to do before they can play for the first team." That is why Van Geersom is not so keen to fast-track players. "If you do not follow all the steps they miss something," he said. "If it is going to fast the things they miss will come back later on to haunt them. So it is good they can do well in the U17s and U19s rather than go too fast."

Santisteban praise
Still, veteran Spain U17 coach Juan Santisteban is convinced Belgium has turned the corner. "Without any doubt Belgium is a great football nation, but in any country you never know if the generation coming up is better or worse," he said. "I have now seen some great, great players with technical skills." From a man who has brought through the likes of Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas in recent years that is some praise. And as Belgium head for the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time thanks to their success this week, maybe the likes of Hazard and Ringhoot, not to mention Vincent Kompany and U21 star Maarten Martens, will soon be mentioned in the same breath as Scifo, Ceulemans and Wilmots.