Doha, Nov 25: For Kevin De Bruyne, playing for Belgium at the World Cup feels a lot different to playing for Manchester City in the Premier League.
“I know I have to adapt to my teammates,” De Bruyne said Friday, demonstrating the kind of honesty that flared up at times during Belgium’s underwhelming first performance at the World Cup.
As the Belgians were laboring to a 1-0 win over Canada on Wednesday, the midfielder repeatedly lost his temper.
He threw his hands up in disgust toward his teammates on the field and was engaged in a heated discussion with defender Toby Alderweireld and coach Roberto Martinez during a break in play.
After the match, De Bruyne mocked the decision to vote him as the player of the match. He was in no mood to celebrate. “Sometimes I get very agitated because I’m a perfectionist,” said De Bruyne, who is regarded by many as the best midfielder in the world.
“I cannot do this job by myself,” he added. “I will need everybody else. I need to raise the level of the other guys if we want to do a successful tournament.” (AP)