FRANCE 98 – Belgium – Leekens: “We shall not let our opponents take over the midfield”
Belgium – Leekens: “We shall not let our opponents take over the midfield” 11.06.98 16h55 CET George LEEKENS, trainer of BELGIUM (Group E)
Statement made in LYON
Before travelling to PARIS by TGV (Departure time from LYON Part Dieu: 16 h 40), the Belgian trainer George LEEKENS revealed the line-up to face the NETHERLANDS at the Stade de France, on 13th June.
“Although the most important matches for us are against MEXICO and KOREA REPUBLIC, we are going to play an extremely offensive formation against the NETHERLANDS. The only uncertainty concerns VIDOVIC (4), who has pain in the adductor muscle. Nevertheless, it is likely that the starting line-up for the preparation match against PARAGUAY will be kept.
The most dangerous situation for us in this first game would be to let our opponents take over the midfield. We must therefore rise to the challenge and do our utmost to create chances. This puts a huge responsibility on our defenders, but I don’t want to let the Dutch occupy our half of the field. In terms of our game plan against the NETHERLANDS, everyone must be prepared to work back at any moment to strengthen the defense and retrieve the ball. This is why a player like Enzo SCIFO (14) mustn’t be let down. He’s a true professional and won’t hesitate to use all his talent to help his team. Enzo has made a strong comeback. He has made a lot of progress in the past weeks, as has VIDOVIC (4), BORKELMANS (5) and MPENZA (19). In preparation against PARAGUAY, he showed that he is on the right track. He is a crucial man in the team for his technical prowess and also for his character and experience. I rely on him a great deal, along with WILMOTS (7) and VAN DER ELST (6).”
