De Bruyne, Lomberts, Witsel and 15 other Belgian players have completed coaching courses. This is an initiative of the local federation

For two years, the players didn't just go to the national team during breaks for international matches. The guys also received coaching training. With such a specialized course, Roberto Martínez wants to prepare players for coaching careers

UEFA considers this project a best practice, and many other federations have adopted the concept. Players are immediately preparing the ground for the end of their careers and are already taking their first coaching steps, adopting experience from senior professionals

During the course, players learned how to think like a coach, and when they returned to the clubs, they completed the task with the youth teams. De Bruyne, Vertonghen, Mignole, Witsel, Thielemans, Vermaelen, Lomberts and Mertens were among the 18 men who received their coaching badges today

Looking forward to the top clubs