Rudi Garcia denies targeting Senegal with 'those teams' comment after Belgium's qualification

Belgium qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals in a stunning turnaround against Senegal (3-2 after extra time), but it was a comment from manager Rudi Garcia that dominated the post-match coverage: “We know those teams, they lose tactical control towards the end of the match.”

The Red Devils were on the brink of elimination. Trailing 2-0 with five minutes left in regular time, they turned the match around in three minutes thanks to Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, before Tielemans converted the decisive penalty in the closing stages of extra time.

Speaking to RTBF immediately after the final whistle, Garcia first praised his squad’s resilience: “In football, everything is always possible as long as you believe in it. The strength of this group is also those who come off the bench.” He then added, regarding Senegal: “At 2-0, we knew they would do everything to protect their goal, which in my opinion is a serious mistake. Remind me, when we’re leading 2-0, not to do that.”

The phrase “those teams” immediately triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with many supporters reading a racist connotation towards an African team into it.

Called upon to address the matter at a press conference, Garcia chose outright denial. “No, no, I didn’t say that. You’re mistaken about what I said,” he insisted, despite the existence of his recorded comments. He then rephrased his thinking: “I said that when you’re leading, and this is the case for all teams in the world, you tend to drop back and try to protect your goal. And when you score the 2-1, the match changes its soul, as we say in French.”

The contradiction between the original statement and the manager’s denial only amplified the controversy, turning a hard-fought qualification into a diplomatic affair as Belgium prepares to continue its tournament run.