Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 1:41 PM• Jordi Tomasowa

Wesley Sonck finds it surprising that Noa Lang has been selected by Louis van Gaal for the World Cup in Qatar. The former Ajax player thinks that Lang may cause problems in the selection of national coach Louis van Gaal. “I think he is particularly energy-consuming for the staff,” says Sonck.

“I find it rather surprising that he is allowed to go to Qatar,” Sonck said in the Belgian football talk show Additional Time. “I hope for Lang that he is top at the World Cup. That would also be nice for Lang himself. But I think he is very energy draining for a staff.” Lang sustained an ankle injury against KV Kortijk at the end of August and then lost his starting place under trainer Carl Hoefkens.

“Lang is a good footballer. But he does things in a match that are not necessary”, continues Sonck. “With that he not only sews up the opponent, but also his own people on the field and on the bench. That Neymar does that, okay, he is on a different level than Lang.” Van Gaal showed last Friday that Lang’s reserve role was precisely a reason to select the attacker. “I have to thank the Club Brugge coach, because Noa Lang is now more of a substitute than a basic player. And that is one of Lang’s trump cards: breaking open a match in a short period of time. Because of his reserve role at Club, I wanted Lang to be in my World Cup selection even more than before,” said van Gaal.

The absolute dream currently lives for a long time. The 23-year-old winger is on the eve of his first final tournament with the the Dutch. Although Lang has had a difficult season at Club Brugge, he is preferred to Villarreal striker Arnaut Danjuma. The five-time international of the Dutch national team was also twice accurate last Wednesday during Club’s cup victory at Patro Eisden. Lang also experienced an absolute milestone last week on a personal level: Club’s wing flash becomes a father for the first time in his life. After his goal against Eisden, the daddy to be that his girlfriend is pregnant by cheering with a ball under his shirt and a thumb in his mouth.