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Belgium coach Garcia claims he expanded Doku's game beyond Guardiola's influence
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Sports

Belgium coach Garcia claims he expanded Doku's game beyond Guardiola's influence

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Belgium's national team coach Rudi Garcia believes he has helped winger Jeremy Doku expand his game beyond just staying wide.
  • Garcia credits Pep Guardiola for Doku's development at Manchester City but asserts his own role in making Doku more effective in various attacking positions.
  • The coach also discussed the selection of Romelu Lukaku, acknowledging his physical condition but emphasizing his unique value to the team.

Rudi Garcia, the coach of Belgium's national football team, asserts that while Pep Guardiola has undoubtedly developed Jeremy Doku at Manchester City, he himself has helped the dynamic winger broaden his attacking horizons.

Pep Guardiola has surely done a good job with him, but I think I have opened Jeremy's horizons by helping him discover another facet of his game: today he is no longer glued to his line waiting for the balls.

— Rudi GarciaDiscussing his influence on Jeremy Doku's development as a player.

"Pep Guardiola has surely done a good job with him, but I think I have opened Jeremy's horizons by helping him discover another facet of his game: today he is no longer glued to his line waiting for the balls," Garcia stated in an interview with the newspaper Le Soir. The Belgian coach considers the 24-year-old Doku to be "Belgium's X-factor," noting the player's increased effectiveness for both club and country.

To score goals, you also have to be in the area. To score goals, you have to know how to move.

— Rudi GarciaExplaining the tactical importance of player positioning for scoring.

Garcia elaborated on Doku's evolving role, explaining the importance of positioning for scoring opportunities. "To score goals, you also have to be in the area. To score goals, you have to know how to move," he said. The coach is open to deploying Doku in various attacking roles, including as a central striker, and recalled Belgium's successes with Doku playing on the right wing against Wales.

Although we reach July 19, he should not be 100% during the competition.

— Rudi GarciaAssessing Romelu Lukaku's physical condition ahead of the World Cup.

Garcia also addressed the selection of veteran striker Romelu Lukaku for the upcoming World Cup squad. He acknowledged that Lukaku is physically behind due to limited playing time, "starting from afar physically" after only 64 minutes all season. Garcia anticipates Lukaku won't be at 100% during the competition, even if Belgium progresses deep into the tournament. Despite these concerns, Garcia defended Lukaku's inclusion, citing his recovery, a recent goal, and his irreplaceable profile for the team: "there is only one Romelu."

Even so, the French coach defended his call-up because 'he is cured,' because he scored in Croatia and because 'there is only one Romelu.'

— Rudi GarciaJustifying the decision to include Romelu Lukaku in the squad despite fitness concerns.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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