January 24, (THEWILL) – The Belgian Football Federation has confirmed the appointment of French football manager Rudi Garcia as the new head coach of the national team, replacing Domenico Tedesco who was dismissed following Belgium’s disappointing performance at Euro 2024.
Garcia, a 60-year-old experienced manager with a distinguished career, brings significant international coaching experience to the role.
His previous management positions include prominent European clubs such as Napoli, Lyon, Roma, Marseille, and most recently, Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr.
The federation will formally introduce Garcia to the media later on Friday, marking the beginning of a trying period for the Belgian national team.
Belgium faces a critical Nations League relegation play-off against Ukraine in March and will commence their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with an away match in North Macedonia in June.
Tedesco’s brief tenure, which began in February 2023 after replacing Roberto Martinez, was characterised by challenges in transitioning from the country’s celebrated “golden generation” of players.
The early exit from the European Championship this summer ultimately led to his dismissal.
Garcia therefore inherits a team in transition, with the mandate to rebuild and reinvigorate the national squad.
A similar coaching assignment at Napoli in 2023 was notably challenging, lasting just five months during a turbulent period for the Italian club.
The Frenchman first established his coaching reputation at Lille between 2008 and 2013, and now faces the significant task of steering Belgian football back to its previous competitive standard on the international stage.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
