Van Bommel’s Italian Return as Belgium Coach
Mark van Bommel has wasted no time putting his stamp on Belgium. For his first squad as Red Devils coach, the former Milan midfielder has leaned heavily on Serie A know-how, naming six Italy-based players for a Nations League campaign that begins, fittingly, on Italian soil.
Van Bommel’s Italian return
Belgium land in a brutal Nations League Group A with Italy, France and Turkiye. It is as close to a tournament dress rehearsal as an international coach can get, and Van Bommel’s debut could hardly be more charged: away to Italy on September 25, the same country where he patrolled midfield for Milan in 2011-12.
Three days later, Belgium host France on September 28. Turkiye follow on October 2, then comes a trip to France on October 5. The group closes with a visit to Turkiye on November 12 and a home clash with Italy on November 15. No soft landings. No hiding places.
This is the stage Van Bommel walks onto after replacing Rudi Garcia in the summer. His answer? Trust in players who already live and breathe Serie A intensity.
Serie A spine for the Red Devils
The new coach’s first list underlines that idea. Milan defender Koni De Winter earns a call, a nod to his growing reputation. Bologna’s new signing Arthur Theate returns to the fold, a left-footed defender comfortable stepping out with the ball. In midfield, the headline is clear: Kevin De Bruyne, now at Napoli, sits at the heart of Van Bommel’s plans.
Mandela Keita, rebuilding and progressing at Parma, joins him as another Italian-based option between the lines. Up front, Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere is rewarded for his resurgence, while Milan winger Diego Moreira offers width and unpredictability from the flanks.
The links to Serie A do not end there. Romelu Lukaku and Lois Openda, both central to Belgium’s attack, only left Italy in recent weeks. They carry fresh memories of Italian defences into a group where every detail will matter.
Balance of youth, experience and big-club steel
Van Bommel’s goalkeeping group reflects the modern Belgian reality: talent spread across Europe’s elite. Jari De Busser (AZ Alkmaar), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Chelsea) and Maarten Vandervoordt (RB Leipzig) give him a blend of profiles and ages, all schooled at high-intensity clubs.
In defence, there is a clear Club Brugge core with Brandon Mechele, Kyriani Sabbe and Joaquin Seys, supported by Timothy Castagne of Fulham and Maxime De Cuyper of Brighton. Zeno Debast (Sporting) and Nathan Ngoy (LOSC) add a more continental flavour, with De Winter and Theate forming the Serie A axis.
Midfield, as so often with Belgium, carries the creative weight. De Bruyne, now wearing Napoli colours, remains the reference point. Around him, Romeo Lavia (Chelsea), Youri Tielemans (Manchester United), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge) and Keita offer different rhythms: some to break lines, some to dictate, some to press.
Up front, the names tell their own story. De Ketelaere, Malick Fofana (Sunderland), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Newcastle United), Mika Godts (PSG), Lukaku (Fenerbahce), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Moreira (Milan), Openda (Lyon) and Leandro Trossard (Bestikas) give Van Bommel depth, pace and goals across every attacking role.
A brutal test, by design
There is no sense of easing into the job. Italy away for a debut, France twice in two weeks, and two trips to hostile Turkish atmospheres would stretch even an established regime. For a new coach, it becomes a live audit of ideas.
Van Bommel has responded with a squad that reflects his own playing identity: aggressive, technically secure, unafraid of big arenas. He has leaned on Serie A experience ahead of a group that begins in Italy and ends against Italy.
By mid-November, after a sprint through some of Europe’s fiercest stadiums, Belgium will know exactly where they stand under their new coach. And so will everyone else.
