The love triangle that still divides Belgium's national team 14 years later

A decade-old infidelity continues to cast a shadow over the Belgian national football team, creating visible tension between star players Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois.

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There is a scene that is repeated every time Belgium plays: while the squad celebrates victories, like last Wednesday, July 1st, after the 3-2 win against Senegal, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, legendary players of the team, avoid each other.

The rift, which dates back to 2013, reportedly began when Courtois became involved with Lijnen, De Bruyne's then-girlfriend. The two players, who had a parallel career path from their youth at KRC Genk through their time at Chelsea, were once close friends.

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The distance and coldness in their gestures have been maintained for 12 years and are due to an infidelity that definitively broke their friendship.

While the players' strained relationship has been apparent in recent team celebrations, the public became aware of the betrayal in 2014. De Bruyne detailed the incident in his autobiography, "Keep it simple," bringing the personal drama into the public sphere. Lijnen herself later spoke about the events, explaining that she had gone on vacation to Madrid after an argument with De Bruyne and met Courtois there.

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Kevin believed it was a good idea, that a little distance would do them good as a couple. What could go wrong?

Despite their past friendship and shared history on the pitch, the incident irrevocably fractured their bond. The lingering animosity remains a notable subplot whenever the Belgian national team gathers, with their distant interactions often captured by cameras.

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The public explosion, however, occurred in 2014, when De Bruyne published his autobiography Keep it simple.