Former Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan has taken aim at his country’s celebrated ‘Golden Generation,’ accusing key players like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Thibaut Courtois of acting like ‘divas,’ which he believes contributed to their underachievement in international tournaments.At 36, Nainggolan was part of Belgium’s most talented squad, which, despite its potential, failed to reach a major final during a period when the team was filled with world-class players. The former Inter Milan and AS Roma player himself made headlines during Euro 2016 with a stunning goal in the quarter-finals against Wales, but Belgium’s tournament ended in disappointment as Hal Robson-Kanu’s wonder strike led to a shock exit.##NAJAVA_MECA_8342659##That early departure was followed by another letdown in the 2018 World Cup, where Belgium lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners France. Subsequent tournaments brought further frustration: a quarter-final exit at Euro 2020, a group-stage elimination at the 2022 World Cup, and a Round of 16 loss at this summer’s Euros.In a recent interview with Gurulundia, Nainggolan offered his perspective on why Belgium failed to secure a major trophy.”I think it’s like Paris Saint-Germain, with all these phenomena Messi, Neymar, Mbappé.” he said. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, Courtois. When you put all these players together, there are too many protagonists, too many divas.””They all wanted to be protagonists, to be the most important player, and that can’t work.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##Nainggolan’s international career was often marred by controversy, particularly due to his smoking habit, which drew criticism from several coaches. Marc Wilmots, Belgium’s coach during Euro 2016, openly acknowledged Nainggolan’s smoking, but took a relaxed stance on the matter.”Yes, Radja smokes,’ he said. “It’s a habit and a lot of people do it in France and Italy. I’m not going to stop him if that’s what he needs. I am flexible when it comes to matters like this. It’s his body. I’m fine with that as long as he performs on the field.””I always make sure he has a room with a balcony, so he doesn’t set off the smoke alarm. I think he would wreck his room if we banned him from smoking five or six cigarettes a day. It’s his problem if he retires at 30 instead of 35.”Despite his undeniable talent as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder, Nainggolan’s career is winding down. He was released by Indonesian second-tier side Bhayangkara Presisi FC in July 2023.🗣️ Radja Nainggolan: “I feel like when you have too many stars like Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne and Courtois everybody wants to be a protagonist and it doesn’t work.It was the same for Messi, Neymar and Mbappé. They all wanted the role of the most important player.” 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/r95Cd1PFEL— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 14, 2024 Nainggolan isn’t the only Belgian star to express frustrations with the national team recently. Kevin De Bruyne also made waves by reportedly ‘quitting’ the national team after Belgium’s loss to France during the international break, followed by a blunt post-match interview.The current Belgian captain, who had already informed technical director Frank Vercauteren of his desire to step back from international duty, had his say about the latest lack of success of the Red Devils.”Everything needs to improve. The standard should be at the top. If you can’t handle the top level, then you’re not good enough. I can accept that we’re not as strong as we used to be, and I’ve said that before. But certain things are unacceptable, and I’m not going to dwell on them. I did that when I was 18 at Racing Genk, but now I’m 33, and I won’t anymore.”
