Rudi Garcia: We Should Have Had a Penalty, and Everything Would Have Been Different

Belgium's head coach, Rudi Garcia, expressed profound disappointment following his team's elimination from the World Cup. The "Red Devils" suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain in their quarter-final clash.

"I'd say we looked the Spanish in the eye. That was crucial for the team's spirit. Tonight, we were beaten because so many things went against us. When you lose your captain and your goalkeeper, who is one of the best in the world, and when you're forced to substitute De Bruyne, it becomes incredibly difficult. Fate wasn't on our side. To go far, you also need a bit of luck. But I am proud of our players and our performance. We leave with our heads held high," Rudi Garcia stated.

"We could have even scored a second goal. I watched the replay, and Michael Oliver (the referee – editor's note) might not have seen it, but Rodri's handball was a clear penalty for us in the 60th minute. We could have taken a 2-1 lead then. I won't say more about that situation, but it was another blow of fate. And if you get too many of those, it becomes tough to progress," the Belgian coach emphasized.

"We will learn from this defeat. I know that every detail matters; I know it from experience. You can't make mistakes, you can't give away gifts. Throughout the match, we lost possession of the ball too easily at times. We all stand by each other, but in the future, we must not make such errors," the specialist admitted.

When asked if he would renew his contract as national coach, which expires after the 2026 World Cup, Garcia responded succinctly: "Now is not the time to discuss that."