Frank Vercauteren, Sports Director Football of Belgium, spoke to Telecom Asia Sport about the appointment of former Spartak Moscow coach Domenico Tedesco as national team coach.
– Domenico Tedesco has been appointed head coach of the Belgian national team. Were you consulted about his candidacy?
– The decision was made with the federation's management and other officials. Each candidate's portfolio was examined, and there were mostly online meetings with each candidate.
As for Tedesco, I contacted people from Spartak to discuss his football and the work he'd done with the team. Of course, we looked at the statistics and other open data. I also tried to get some inside information, especially from Spartak, that would give us a clearer picture of his candidacy. With all the information I got, Tedesco made a positive impression, so we decided he was the best candidate for the job.
– Who else was under consideration for the position?
– There were five more experienced and mature candidates on the shortlist, but the choice was unanimous; Tedesco was our first choice.
Tedesco will lead Spartak from October 2019 to August 2021, and his club won the silver medal in the 2020/21 Russian championship. The German coach's last club was RB Leipzig, which he left in September 2022.