Belgian Coach Tedesco Still Believes He’s the Right Man for the Job

 Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
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Belgian Coach Tedesco Still Believes He’s the Right Man for the Job

 Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)

Belgium's 1-0 defeat by Israel in the Nations League on Sunday has ramped up the pressure on Domenico Tedesco but the coach still believes he is the right man for the job.

Belgium have won just two of their last 10 internationals and only avoided bottom place in their group, and relegation from the top tier, because of better head-to-head results against the Israelis.

The 39-year-old has come under scrutiny since Belgium's disappointing exit at the European Championship and while the defeat in Budapest on Sunday did little to ease the pressure Tedesco remained positive about his role.

"I trust my qualities. I trust my staff, I trust my players. I trust the people around me. I know how hard I work," he said.

Belgium's timid tactics have been criticized throughout the six-game campaign despite Tedesco promising a more adventurous approach after they limped out to France in the last 16 at Euro 2024 in July.

"After the Euros I told you that we have to change something in some games, we missed intensity, and that we have to try new players because if we don't do it now we will never do it," Tedesco told reporters.

"This campaign was different because of many, many injuries."

Belgium were without a host of key players for their last group game on Sunday and lost the match late on after a horror defensive error from new cap Matte Smets.

"It was a difficult game, difficult circumstances, and it's difficult to say something harsh to this young team," said Tedesco.

"We are better equipped now to go into the next year's World Cup qualifiers."

While his future was the subject of much debate in Belgium after the loss to Israel, Tedesco was not letting it get to him.

"The negative sentiment is nothing new. I was told this is typically Belgian," he added.

"Naturally the results in the Nations League did not help but in March we have a sort of final in the playoffs to keep our place in the A League. It will be good to start the New Year with a strong focus."



Sinner Beats Fritz to Win ATP Finals

Tennis - ATP Finals - Inalpi Arena, Turin, Italy - November 17, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Tennis - ATP Finals - Inalpi Arena, Turin, Italy - November 17, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
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Sinner Beats Fritz to Win ATP Finals

Tennis - ATP Finals - Inalpi Arena, Turin, Italy - November 17, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Tennis - ATP Finals - Inalpi Arena, Turin, Italy - November 17, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner added another big title to his tremendous year, beating US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday for the ATP Finals trophy before his home fans — and before a final verdict is reached in his doping case.
Sinner won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024 and had already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking.
But Sinner also tested positive in two separate drug tests in March and a decision to clear him of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport early next year.
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
Sinner maintained his recent mastery over Fritz, having also beaten the American in the US Open final in September and in the group stage this week at the elite event for the year’s top eight players.
By sweeping all five of his matches en route to the trophy, Sinner earned $4.8 million — the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour, The Associated Press reported.
Sinner became the first Italian to win the finals and he went one step further than last year, when he lost the championship match to Novak Djokovic, who withdrew this time. And he did so without dropping a set – which was last accomplished by Ivan Lendl in 1986.
The crowd inside Inalpi Arena included multiple clusters of fans wearing orange — a tribute to Sinner’s red- and orange-colored hair, and how he once ate carrots during a match. There were orange carrot costumes, orange wigs, orange hats, jackets and plenty of other orange items, too.
Some fans even had carrots in their mouths.
The crowd broke into its customary chant of “Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner” when Sinner produced a drop-shot winner to break for a 4-3 lead in the first set.
Sinner faced a break point while serving for the first set but saved it with a big serve out wide that Fritz couldn’t return. Then he served an ace — his 10th of the set — to close it out.
Another break by Sinner early in the second and the match was virtually over.
Sinner extended his winning streak to 11 matches. He’s won 26 of his last 27 matches and ends the ATP season with eight titles and an overall record of 70-6.
Fritz was attempting to become the event’s first American champion since Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in the title match 25 years ago.
Still, Fritz will rise to a career-high No. 4 in the rankings on Monday after beating No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a third-set tiebreaker in the semifinals on Saturday. That will make him the highest-ranked American man since Andy Roddick was No. 4 in August 2007.
It’s the latest in a series of achievements for Fritz, whose run in New York made him the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009.
At the start of the week, Fritz told The Associated Press that his “career has always been a very steady progression and just improving a little bit each year.”
Both Sinner and Fritz will conclude their seasons representing defending champion Italy and the United States, respectively, in the Davis Cup finals, which start Tuesday in Malaga, Spain.
The German duo of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz beat Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) to win the doubles title.