Overview
- Belgium appointed Mark van Bommel as head coach, a change confirmed on Sunday after the national federation decided not to renew Rudi Garcia's deal following the World Cup exit.
- Thibaut Courtois publicly welcomed Van Bommel’s arrival and said he looks forward to meeting him while praising Van Bommel’s success at Antwerp and his top-level playing career.
- Courtois left his international future undecided and said he will decide after talks with Van Bommel because he wants an agreed rest from the upcoming Nations League.
- Courtois’s request reflects recent fitness concerns after he was forced off with a thigh injury in the July 10 World Cup quarter-final, a substitution that preceded Belgium’s 2-1 loss to Spain.
- The new coach faces immediate decisions on goalkeeper selection and player workload, with Courtois’s availability and the form of deputy Senne Lammens likely to shape Belgium’s plans through the Nations League and European qualifying.