European Championship selection visible throughout the country thanks to Lotto
Red Devils are already taking over Belgium in their campaign of conquest through Europe
Graffiti artists travel throughout the country on behalf of the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) and Lotto. With their spray cans they immortalise the Red Devils who have been selected for the European Championship. 25 portraits, each in special locations: from the esplanade in front of the Atomium to the canteen of the Saint-Ode football club. And today those portraits formed the basis for the squad announcement for the European Championship. With a press of the play button, national coach Domenico Tedesco launched a video with the portraits, creatively announced the players will go to Germany ... and had the easiest press conference of his career.
“The European Championship fever is rising, not least in the home base of the Red Devils. And with the squad announcement, we continue our ambition to bring the Devils and the fans closer together again. Literally! Because this time we will bring the players to their home base. All of Belgium will know: the Red Devils are ready for the European Championship!”
– Manu Leroy, director of Communications and Marketing RBFA
Selection announcement
Today national coach Domenico Tedesco received the support of Lotto to announce his selection for the European Championships in Germany. Thanks to Lotto, the announcement was not made in the traditional way – with the names being read out – but based on a video with portraits of the selected players.
Five portraits have already been painted, not coincidentally the players with the most caps: Yannick Carrasco in Vilvoorde, Kevin De Bruyne in Drongen, Romelu Lukaku in Bornem, Youri Tielemans in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and Jan Vertonghen in Tielrode. The portraits of the other selected people have been digitally added to the video but will be installed at various locations in the coming days. The paint disappears after four months.
Stations, football pitches, market squares, facades, no building is safe in the home base of the Red Devils, or places where they kicked their first ball. Even the esplanade in front of the Atomium has been taken.
At the following locations, the KBVB and Lotto have already painted portraits, or will be painted in the coming days:
- Johan Bakayoko: station square in Overijse
- Yannick Carrasco: football square under the Europa bridge in Vilvoorde
- Timothy Castagne: Rue des Faubourgs in Arlon
- Koen Casteels: Betekom – exact location to be announced
- Zeno Debast: square in front of Saint Martin's Basilica in Halle
- Kevin De Bruyne: facade in Bieldekensstraat in Drongen
- Maxim De Cuyper: Knokke-Heist – exact location to be announced
- Charles De Ketelaere: wall at KFC Varsenare football club in Varsenare
- Jeremy Doku: Antwerp – exact location to be announced
- Wout Faes: facade of cultural centre ‘t Getouw in Mol
- Thomas Kaminski: facade of the canteen of FC Asse-Zellik 2002 in Asse
- Romelu Lukaku: square in front of the Landhuis in Bornem
- Dodi Lukebakio: in front of the canteen FC Asse-Zellik 2002 in Asse
- Orel Mangala: Atomium square in Brussels
- Thomas Meunier: wall of the canteen of football club R.U.S. Sainte-Ode in Sainte-Ode
- Amadou Onana: Place Atomium in Brussels
- Loïs Openda: Liège – exact location to be announced
- Matz Sels: facade of Lindenhof sports hall in Lint
- Youri Tielemans: façade of the canteen of football club Leeuw-Brucom in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
- Arthur Theate: Liège – Exact location to be announced
- Leandro Trossard: facade of the De Vrietsel sports hall in Dilsen-Stokkem
- Arthur Vermeeren: facade of the town hall in Nijlen
- Jan Vertonghen: wall of the Tilroda sports hall in Temse
- Aster Vranckx: village square in Erps-Kwerps
- Axel Witsel: Liège – exact location to be announced
#WirSchaffenDas: numerous promotions
More than a year ago, the RBFA launched the #WirSchaffenDas campaign, to bring the Red Devils and their fans closer again. Supporters were invited during training and for signing sessions, fans were given the opportunity to ask the players questions during the fan conferences – in the same format as the press conferences – and 1,500 came to the Proximus in March Basecamp for the Family Day.
There were also numerous initiatives during the matches: a large tifo was rolled out in Sweden with 24,000 names of supporters, a bus caravan with 650 supporters went to Germany to cheer on the Devils, the stadium was painted completely red for the home match against Austria, 4,500 children made drawings to cheer on the Red Devils against Azerbaijan. At the beginning of this month, 1,500 supporters recorded the European Championship song in the ING Arena.
But the European Championship in Germany should of course be the icing on the #WirSchaffenDas cake, with fan walks, fan cafes, fan matches against the opposing team's supporters. The supporters can also follow all press conferences live on the RBFA channels. (website and app).
To wave goodbye to the Red Devils in style, we count on the support of the supporters during the last two preparatory matches: against Montenegro on Wednesday 5 June at 8:30pm and against Luxembourg on Saturday, June 8 at 8:00pm. Tickets are still available for both matches.