The Belgium squad as a whole has come under fire following their shock 1-0 Nations League defeat to Israel on Sunday night (November 17), including Arne Engels.
The Celtic midfielder started the match but failed to make a significant impact until subbed inside the final minutes of injury time.
Longstanding Belgian sports outlet Walfoot.be (founded in 2002), criticised the 21-year-old for hiding during the defeat, suggesting he disappeared in spells despite playing in the No.10 role.
With a scathing 2/10 rating, Walfoot (via Google Translate) said of Engels: "According to the line-up, he was supposed to be the No. 10 of this team; apart from a vaguely dangerous strike, he hid as rarely, recalling Trossard's worst hours at Euro 2024.
"In the second half, he completely disappeared from circulation, and it was not due to the fog on the pitch."
Read more:
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All told, it was a night to forget for manager Domenico Tedesco and his players, and indeed a mixed international break for Celtic's star summer signing.
After Belgium's 1-0 Nations League loss to Italy las week, facets of Belgian media hailed the young midfielder's performance and potential.
Het Laatste Nieuws said: "Engels showed maturity and precision in his passing, which was crucial for Belgium's ball possession."
Whereas another Belgian outlet, De Standaard, highlighted his defensive contributions: "Engels was tireless in winning the ball back and displayed impressive stamina throughout the entire match."
