Belgium appoint Garcia as coach with Hazard named assistant

Belgium have appointed former Roma and Napoli boss Rudi Garcia as their new head coach, with Eden Hazard named as his assistant.

The Royal Belgian Football Association announced it had made the decision to part company with Domenico Tedesco last week, with the Italian lasting less than two years in the role.

Tedesco's Belgium struggled at Euro 2024, scraping through Group E with just four points before suffering a meek last-16 exit at the hands of France.

Garcia has now been named his successor in what will represent his first foray into international management, with his last job being a four-month stint at Napoli in 2023.

Garcia previously led Lille to the Ligue 1 title in 2011 and finished as a Europa League runner-up with Marseille in 2017-18, also reaching the Champions League semi-finals with Lyon in 2020.

The Frenchman, who also managed Al-Nassr but left in April 2023 amid rumours of a rift with forward Cristiano Ronaldo, said: "We are ambitious and want to win every game. I feel this is an environment with a lot of positivity."

Our new Red Devils’ head coach, Rudi Garcia. pic.twitter.com/RSBxOGvCsp
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) January 24, 2025

Garcia will be assisted by former Red Devils captain Hazard, who played under him at Lille and made 126 appearances for his country between 2008 and 2022.

"I talk to Eden Hazard a lot. He will also be a part of the adventure to the World Cup. He will help us a little," Garcia said.

"He can be important because he was part of the team. It can be interesting to have one of the best Belgian players of all time behind me."

One of Garcia's first tasks will be to persuade Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to return to the fold, after he refused to play due to being overlooked for the captaincy by Tedesco in 2023.

"We still have good goalkeepers, but Thibaut is the best goalkeeper in the world in my opinion," Garcia told reporters.

"It would be good to be able to count on him. The signals are positive."

Belgium will face Ukraine in the Nations League relegation play-offs in March, having finished third in Group A2 behind France and Italy.

They then begin their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign against North Macedonia in June, with Wales, Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan their other opponents in Group J.