The national football team of Belgium is a powerhouse in Europe, according to player Florinel Coman, who stated in an interview that the tricolors have mentally prepared for Saturday’s Euro 2024 clash with the team of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.
“Yes, it’s a game against a very good team, one of the best in Europe, with players at the highest level. But I think the strength of the group can speak for itself again. We have prepared mentally, which is certainly necessary. At this level, if we are not mentally strong, we cannot hold up. So far, our execution has worked, we have players who can execute and win a game,” Coman said in an interview on the Romanian Football Federation’s YouTube channel.
Coman admitted that there is always pressure when facing players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku: “The pressure is there. If we don’t have pressure, we do nothing here. In this Euro, it’s obvious there is pressure, but after all, it’s the European Championship, we all know what kind of players are here. We have to be able to surpass ourselves.”
Florinel Coman believes that the core group of players formed during the 2019 U-19 European Championship is very important for the current national team.
“The core formed in 2019 is important because most of us played juniors together, we kept in touch. I think this criterion is very important. We talk whenever we can, we stay in touch, we are very united and very open. Nicolae Stanciu is what Romania needed to present itself. He has already been to a European Championship, he is a leader, it’s obvious, you can see that. But he’s not authoritarian, he jokes with us, he also likes to be young, that’s what is needed,” Coman added.
The Romanian national football team debuted with a victory in Euro 2024, organized by Germany, with a 3-0 win over Ukraine on Monday, at the Munich Football Arena, in Group E.
The tricolors achieved a historic victory, their second in the European Championship, 24 years after the previous one (3-2 against England), despite starting the game with the second-best opportunity.
Romania will play its next matches against Belgium on Saturday, in Cologne, at 8:00 PM, and against Slovakia on June 26 (Frankfurt).