'It's over' - Man City star Kevin De Bruyne launches angry rant amid latest retirement hint
Kevin De Bruyne warned his Belgium teammates to wise up on Monday night after seeing them slip to a 2-0 defeat to France.
The Manchester City man had a frustrating evening in Lyon as goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele gave France the three points. De Bruyne had previously scored a brace last week against Israel but couldn't help Belgium to back-to-back wins.
The setback comes after Belgium's frustrating Euro 2024 performance, with many of their so-called 'Golden Generation' retiring from internationals - leaving De Bruyne as captain and one of the last survivors of the group that got to the World Cup 2018 semi-finals.
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And with that senior role comes an opportunity for De Bruyne to lay down some home truths to his youthful teammates, saying after the game: "I can't say here what went wrong. I already did that to the team at half-time. I cannot repeat that in the media, but it has to be better in every way.
"If the standard we want to reach is the best, but we're no longer good enough to get to that level, then you have to give everything. If you don't even do that, it's over.
"I can accept that we're not as good as in 2018. I was the first to see that, but other things are unacceptable. I'm not going to say what. [But] we are too many at the back. If you stay with six at the back, there is no connection. It is what it is. It is not about transition, but about people who do not perform their tasks."
Despite his latest outburst, De Bruyne said at the start of the international break that he remains committed to Belgium and has no plans to retire from international football. He has 108 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 30 times.
"I want to continue with the Red Devils and that's why I'm here," De Bruyne said last Thursday. "The season has started well for me. It's going to be a tough season. If there comes a time when it becomes too much, then I'll talk to the coach.
"I'm mainly looking ahead. I was a bit disappointed after the European Championships, but that was for a few days and then a new season starts again."
However, in the summer he did hint at the benefits of stepping down from Belgium duty, even if it isn't currently on his mind, and he has repeatedly taken aim at the international match calendar.
“I haven't thought about [his international future] yet. It may not be the case, but at the moment it is not an issue for me," De Bruyne said in July. "I feel fine. As long as that is the case, the national team will remain important to me.
“During international breaks, we get seven to 10 days off at City. That would be welcome for my family. But I don’t have 10 years left as a footballer. I’ve been absent from the national team a lot too.
"I’m saying it… If I keep feeling good, I’ll probably be available. I just don’t know what it’ll be like next year. There’s a crazy season coming up with City, with even more matches. It has to remain physically and mentally feasible.”