Domenico Tedesco appointed as new manager of Belgian Red Devils

The rumoured appointment of Domenico Tedesco as the new manager of the Belgian Red Devils was confirmed by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) on Wednesday. "It is a great honour for me to be the new national coach of Belgium," the German-Italian coach said in a first reaction.

Previously, the 37-year-old manager worked for clubs like Schalke 04, Spartak Moskou and RB Leipzig. With this move, he has become the world's youngest active manager of a national team. "From the first conversation (...) we were immediately on the same wavelength. I am very motivated and can't wait to get started," explained Tedesco.

Frank Vercauteren is also making his comeback. The former Belgian international will be working at the RBFA as director of football. Vercauteren previously worked for Belgium's national team between 2008 and 2009, first as assistant manager and later as caretaker manager.

"Domenico Tedesco was our first choice. He stands for the football we want to bring: energetic with a lot of offensive pressure," explained RBFA CEO Peter Bossaert. "With Frank Vercauteren, we are bringing in a football expert with a wealth of top-level international experience," he added.

Tedesco's debut is planned for 24 March, on the first match day in Group F of the 2024 European Championship qualifiers. The Red Devils will face Sweden at the Friends Arena in Solna. Four days later they will play a practice match against Germany in Cologne.

^{© Odd ANDERSEN / AFP}