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Belgium forward Dries Mertens' wife has lifted the lid on a barbeque squad meet-up that took place at the Red Devils' camp hours after a bust-up involving Kevin De Bruyne.
Belgium were considered one of the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this year. However, things have not gone according to plan for them so far as they face the risk of failing to get out of the group stages.
The Red Devils, who are ranked second in FIFA's rankings, are currently placed third in Group F of the World Cup. They have three points to their name, having won one and lost one of their two matches.
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Roberto Martinez's men need to beat table-toppers Croatia in their final group match to qualify for the Round of 16. While they will be hopeful of getting the job done, the tense atmosphere in the camp does not help their cause.
It all started when Kevin De Bruyne cut a pessimistic figure ahead of Belgium's clash against Morocco on Sunday (27 November). The Manchester City superstar oddly downplayed his team's chances of winning the World Cup. He said:
“No chance, we’re too old. I think our chance was 2018."
Martinez and Co. went on to succumb to a 2-0 defeat to Morocco, with the team struggling to find their footing. Speaking after the game, defender Jan Vertonghen seemingly took a sly dig at De Bruyne. He stated:
"I guess we attack badly because we are also too old up front."
It culminated in De Bruyne, Vertonghen, and Eden Hazard getting into a reported altercation in the dressing room. Romelu Lukaku reportedly had to intervene to calm things down.
While Thibaut Courtois has since denied claims that there is unrest in the squad, Mertens' wife Kat Kerkhofs has detailed the situation in the camp.
She notably revealed that the players got together for an 'awkward' team barbeque hours after the bust-up. She said on the Midmid Mondial podcast [via The Mirror]:
“That was really awkward. The players were logically still very disappointed. But I thought it was strange to read that there are tensions within the group.
"The next morning everyone said hello to each other with a kiss. They do all that. So I think they are all super sweet to each other."
How has Kevin De Bruyne fared for Belgium in Qatar?
Kevin De Bruyne was in fine form for Manchester City in the months leading up to the World Cup. He has scored three goals and provided 13 assists in 19 matches for them this season.
However, he has struggled to make a significant impact for Belgium at the World Cup in Qatar. The Red Devils have scored just one goal from two matches and Kevin De Bruyne was not involved in any way.
The midfielder, though, will be hopeful of firing his nation into the Round of 16 of the tournament. It remains to be seen if the players can keep their differences aside when they face Croatia on Thursday (1 December).
