the quarterfinals 10 two years later the belgium team still had their spine intact and the likes of hazard and lukaku had more experience it was belgiums time to shine once again they flattered to deceive as they ended up losing to surprise quarter finalists wales in euro 2016 by a scoreline of 31 wales were there for the taking but belgium choked and couldnt muster a response against an inspired welsh side time and again belgium had the chance to go all the way but never really made it count belgium became the number 1 team in the world reached semifinals and played some good football does that count as success relatively speaking no it doesnt its the trophies that are remembered do you really remember who came in third at the 2006 world cup right men wrong manit was the 2018 world cup where belgium blew their best chance and ironically had the best time under its golden generation managed by roberto martinez who quit as the manager of the red devils after their qatar world cup group stage exit the expectations were enormous as this was a team that had the top players who were winning week in and week out it was reported that before hiring martinez the belgium fa interviewed louis van gaal a bona fide coaching legend and ralf rangnick an astute tactician who recently had a rather illfated interim stint at manchester united perhaps that was the mistake belgium made handing over the keys to its reserves of gold to a man with perhaps just about an average track record some may point out that martinez did win the fa cup with unheralded wigan in 2013 before leaving for everton but in the same year 201213 wigan were relegated from the premier league after eight seasons in the highest level of english domestic footballthe manager argument actually is handsomely blown away by the underachieving england golden generation england under sven goran eriksson played in the 2002 world cup 2004 euros and the 2006 world cup each time they had a terrific squad and a manager who was considered hot property erikssons stock was high as his lazio team of the late 90s were excellent to watch and they actually won trophies at a time when the likes of ac milan inter milan juventus and even as roma had some of the best players playing for them eriksson with lazio won the serie a coppa italia and the uefa cup and was an elite coach back then so much so that manchester united had lined him up as a replacement for the legendary sir alex ferguson it just never came home for england under eriksson they lost to brazil in 2002 in the world cup quarterfinals 12 portugal in the 2004 euros 65 on penalties after a 22 draw and then once again to portugal in the 2006 at the quarterfinal stage of the fifa world cup 13 on penalties after a 00 draw