Open his shock omission from the 2018 World Cup, Radja Nainggolan quickly announced his decision to retire from Belgium after this disappointment. The midfielder took to social media to inform football fans that he will be waving goodbye to his national team.
Despite being a fan favorite, the Roma ace was left out of Roberto Martinez’s preliminary 28-man squad. The player, who turned 30 early this month, has thus missed out on what could have been his last World Cup.
The Belgian wrote: "Very reluctantly my international career comes to an end. I've always done everything I could to represent my country."
His snub garnered Martinez tons of criticism. Nainggolan, who was named Roma’s player of the season, enjoyed a tremendous campaign in which the Giallorossi finished third in Serie A and made the Champions League semi-final.
The manager, who reportedly enjoys a rocky relationship with the midfielder, insisted that his decision was for tactical reasons only. The Red Devils boss said (as per Sky Sports): "It was a sad and difficult decision.
"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."
Belgium has been placed in Group G where they will lock horns with England, Panama, and Tunisia. Should the promising European nation struggle in the summer competition, Martinez’s surprise decision could be rehashed.
