Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has defended chucking Radja Nainggolan out of his team for the World Cup. The Roma midfielder was a shocking omission from the initial 28-man squad. Martinez said that the decision was purely tactical.
“It was a sad and difficult decision,” said Martinez. “He is a player with a lot of class and he was voted Roma’s best player, but I’ve made my decision for purely tactical reasons. I have put in place a specific system that works. I can’t use Radja in a secondary role.”The decision to omit Nainggolan has been criticised by former Belgium and Newcastle defender Philippe Albert. “We must be the only country in the world to be making the trip without one of the best players in the world,” he said. “This is not the way to become world champions.”