"He must keep it private" - Ex-Belgium boss hits back at Kevin De Bruyne's claims that Red Devils squad is 'too old' to win 2022 FIFA World Cup

Former Belgium manager Marc Wilmots has slammed Kevin De Bruyne for downplaying the Red Devils' chances of winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Kevin De Bruyne sparked controversy after he claimed Belgium have "no chance" of winning the World Cup ahead of the team's match against Morocco. He insisted that players in the squad are "too old" to lift the trophy.

The Red Devils went on to succumb to a 2-0 loss to Morocco and Jan Vertonghen added fuel to the fire afterward. He appeared to take a sly dig at teammate De Bruyne. He said:

"I guess we attack badly because we are also too old up front."

Yesterday, Kevin De Bruyne said that Belgium are ‘too old’ to win the World Cup.

This is what Jan Vertonghen had to say after Morocco held them scoreless in a 2-0 win today 😳 https://t.co/4CLHh9oql6

It was then claimed that De Bruyne, Vertonghen, and Eden Hazard were involved in a dressing room altercation after Belgium's defeat to Morocco. Romelu Lukaku reportedly had to intervene to calm things down.

🚨 There was a BIG altercation between Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Jan Vertonghen yesterday.

Romelu Lukaku intervened and stopped the altercation. 😳

(Source: @rtlinfo) https://t.co/itvBHIcarI

A lot has since been said about the Red Devils' camp, where morale appears to be low. Wilmots, who managed the side between 2012 and 2016, has become the latest person to provide his thoughts on the situation.

Wilmots claimed that he taught Belgium's golden generation to respect each other during his time as their coach. He then admitted that De Bruyne was wrong to throw his teammates under the bus. He told Het Nieuwsblad [via Voetbal Belgie]:

“Things happened that shouldn't have happened. I built this group and taught them to respect each other, not to criticize each other.

"So what Kevin De Bruyne did was not right. If he has any criticism of the team, he must keep it private. Arguments on the field or statements in the media are of no use to anyone.”

Wilmots, who feels unity is Belgium's biggest strength, went on to advise the players to get their act together. He added:

“I hope it has not led to serious tensions because that would be a shame. I'd tell them: stick together guys, try to repair those cracks together. That has always been our strength.

"And know, if we win later, everything will be forgotten and it can still be a very nice World Cup.”

Can Kevin De Bruyne help Belgium qualify for the World Cup Round of 16?

The Red Devils are currently placed third in Group F of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They have three points to their name, having won one and lost one of their two group matches so far.

Roberto Martinez's side must win their final group game against Croatia on Thursday (1 December) to qualify for the Round of 16. It remains to be seen if Kevin De Bruyne and Co. can keep their differences aside to help the team reach the knockout phase.