Marc Wilmots stopped just short of giving the middle finger to the assembled media who gathered underneath this rapidly emptying stadium to hear his thoughts on Belgium’s 3-0 defeat of the Republic of Ireland.
Irish fans had travelled in hope to the south of France for this meeting with the world’s number two ranked team, thanks in no small part to a steady stream of stories that suggested there was disharmony in the Belgium camp.
Wilmots had been christened “Moi, je” by the players who were seemingly tiring of hearing about how he had appeared in four World Cups. Yannick Carrasco had commented in agreement with a story on Facebook criticising the fact he was not selected for the opening defeat to Italy. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was involved in a “furious altercation” with his coach after taking issue with the tactical approach.
Looks like #BEL have taken over from the Dutch as the kings of internal strife https://t.co/2DTlas0p3J
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 17, 2016
Wilmots has suggested to an increasingly hostile media that he would ring the changes ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Ireland and Romelu Lukaku was likely to be dropped for another striker (Belgium have a lot of them) who was working harder.
Instead Lukaku played and scored twice as Wilmots scored a vital victory over Martin O’Neill and the press. In the aftermath of a win that leaves Ireland needing to triumph over Italy on Wednesday, Wilmots revelled in telling the media that he had played them like a banjo in the run-up to the game.
“I bluffed! I bluffed,” he said of his mooted changes. “The players were aware of this, they were all aware. We waited for the right time. We spoke about this privately and knew the team had to give their all and were mentally ready.”
How Wilmots enjoyed informing the Belgian journalists that he used them to his own ends. Theirs is not a friendly relationship so, having taken all the flak for the 2-0 loss to Italy, he was sure as hell not going to let an opportunity for revenge pass by.
With his voice rising as he switched between French and Flemish, the former politician unloaded on the journalists – telling them that only death, and not criticism, will have any effect on him.
“I think it is manipulating the people, giving them the wrong idea,” he said of stories that suggested the players dislike him. “Sometimes the criticism is just manipulation, I live with criticism.
“I don’t think, apart from death, anything else can effect me.”
Marc Wilmots is enjoying himself here. Giving it socks to the media after criticism of last few days #IRLBEL
— Mikey Stafford (@me_stafford) June 18, 2016
While stressing that “unity is important” Wilmots refused to answer questions about the conversations he has had with his players ahead of the game and said that critics will never be happy with their own lives.
“What I say to them stays between us. I am not going to explain what I said to the media,” said the former Standard Liege and Schalke midfielder.
“People being negative is not interesting for me. People who criticise are never going to have a good life,” he added, before dismissing their criticism as something he has grown accustomed to.
“[You’ll soon be] sacking me again and I am used to that. Don’t worry.”
