Belgium Collapses in 15 Minutes, Sparks Fury from Press

Belgium led 1-0 at Stade de France until the 75th minute before collapsing against France, conceding four goals in fourteen minutes and suffering a heavy defeat in Monday’s match. A seventh consecutive loss to the Blues, and the manner of it, sparked fierce controversy across Belgium.

Dodi Lukebakio had opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark, giving the Red Devils hope of ending a drought in official competition against France dating back to 1981. Désiré Doué’s equalizer changed everything: Cherki and Olise then ran riot against a Belgian defense unable to respond, turning a controlled match into a rout.

The Belgian press held nothing back. Le Soir spoke of a “shipwreck” and “professional negligence” for internationals unable to hold a result. RTBF pointed to a collapse both physical and psychological, evoking “the shame of falling apart the moment the French bench accelerated.”

On social media, supporters were equally harsh. “Losing to France is one thing. But getting humiliated and conceding 4-1 in 15 minutes is absolute shame, a lack of respect for the shirt,” one wrote at the final whistle. Another widely shared message summed up the general mood: “At this level, it’s not even fatigue anymore, it’s desertion. It’s shameful.”

Mark van Bommel, however, chose to downplay it. “When you work for two weeks and see how well the instructions are followed during the match, it’s really unfortunate to have that last quarter-hour,” the Dutch manager regretted. “But overall, if you look at all four matches, there was far more positive than negative. Let’s not get stuck on that last quarter-hour in France.” A message that apparently failed to extinguish the fire.