Without prompting, Jos Verschueren parses the word ‘Belgium’, letter by letter, to explain the link between the country and the Red Devils.
Belgian
Thanks to the success of the Red Devils we have got, as a country, a lot of attention. And that helps; it contributes to our image. You can’t buy a reputation, so our football is a living billboard. Many Belgian companies are now involved in the football industry: Desso, Barco, Schréder lighting, EVS, Outside Broadcast... They have joined forces to create the Belgian Sports Technology Club and are active worldwide.
Everyone
‘Unity is strength’, our national motto says. There was that fantastic ‘Everyone Devil’ campaign, and ‘Tous Ensemble’, which created unity among supporters. Yes, it was sponsored by Kompany’s production company. So what? It was his idea, otherwise it wouldn’t have happened. He is a modern entrepreneur. The days when footballers opened a snooker hall or sports shop are far behind us.
Loyalty
To the team and our country. It’s strange, but we don’t know our own flag very well. It’s unbelievable how many Belgians hang out the flag backwards. In this country, the national flag is allowed to be shamelessly exploited. Jupiler, for instance: they just print their logo on it!
Game
The enthusiasm for the game, the belief in themselves, the grit, the determination. It hasn’t always been like that.
International
With one or two exceptions, all the players play in top leagues. Around the world, people are paying attention to Belgium and asking themselves the question: what has happened there in such a small country? What a squad!
Universal
Imagine you’re on a foreign beach with people you don’t know, there is a ball and you make goals out of four T-shirts. Everyone knows what it’s about, no one needs to speak. The ball connects us.
Merchandise and marketing
Ultimately, everything is commercialised. I call it the Jupilerisation of our country. If we had gone any further at the last World Cup, there wouldn’t have been a drop of Jupiler available. It was finished. That’s an impact.