June 18 – In a surprising upset in the opening match of the UEFA Euro Group E fixture, Belgium, the so-called Red Devils, lost 0-1 to Slovakia. Manchester City star Doku and striker Romelu Lukaku faced heavy criticism from fans for their subpar performance, becoming the targets of blame for the defeat.
After the match, Belgian head coach Tedesco addressed the controversy surrounding the two players, stating, “Mistakes are also part of the game, and as forwards, they know how to find the back of the net.”
The 22-year-old winger Doku carelessly passed the ball in the 7th minute, allowing Slovakia’s Schranz to intercept and score the match’s only goal. Lukaku, on the other hand, squandered several goal-scoring opportunities in the first half, including two golden chances, with both second-half goals disallowed by VAR.
Commenting on Lukaku’s goal-scoring form, Tedesco said, “Honestly, he has been playing for the national team for a long time and knows how to score. He did score tonight, but unfortunately, those goals didn’t count. If he needs anything, I am there to help him.”
Regarding Doku, who was active on the right wing but often inaccurate with his shots and responsible for the conceding goal, Tedesco remarked, “Of course, it hurts, it’s very painful for him and for me too, because he shouldn’t be subjected to that. But that’s part of the game.”
“In football, you don’t score many goals without making mistakes – it’s part of the sport, it happens,” Tedesco added. “Slovakia made errors tonight as well. The mistake is okay; that’s football.”
Nonetheless, the Belgian manager refused to pin the loss solely on the VAR-ruled disallowed goals, saying, “It’s difficult for me to speak now. If we had won, I would have shared more thoughts. But since we lost, I want to be a fair loser, which is why I believe we shouldn’t discuss the referee or the VAR. We choose to trust the officials and technology. If they call it a handball and cancel the goal, then that’s it.”