The managerial seismic shift unfolding in Belgian football may be taking place over 600 miles away from Ibrox, but its fallout threatens to deliver a devastating blow to Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
Following Belgium’s quarter-final run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, French head coach Rudi Garcia has officially departed his post.
In his place, former Netherlands international Mark van Bommel is set to take the reins through to the 2028 UEFA European Championship.
While coaching turnover is standard practice at international level, the political and linguistic undertones surrounding Garcia’s exit and Van Bommel’s arrival have suddenly cast a massive shadow over Raskin’s hard-earned spot in the Red Devils’ midfield.
Nico Raskin is making a name for himself on the international stage! 😍
If he is to leave Rangers, how much should he be sold for?
The Rudi Garcia protege: Nicolas Raskin’s rapid international rise
To understand why this change hits Raskin so hard, one only needs to look at his trajectory over the past 16 months.
After handing the former Standard Liege star his senior international debut in March 2025, Garcia transformed Raskin into a vital cog in the Belgian engine room.
The 25-year-old rewarded that faith with a man-of-the-match display on his full debut against Ukraine and went on to start in key fixtures throughout World Cup qualification and finals in North America.
This came after previous Red Devils coach Domenico Tedesco completely refused to consider the midfielder for the squad.
Under Garcia, Raskin was not just a squad player – he was a trusted lieutenant.
However, that status was built within a specific dressing room dynamic that has now completely disintegrated.
The cultural & language divide in Belgian football
The collapse of Garcia’s tenure has reopened deep, historic linguistic fault lines between French-speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders.
Reliable Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri revealed this week that while the vast majority of the squad loved Garcia, with French-speaking players sending him messages of support, friction existed with Dutch-speaking core figures over training instructions provided by Garcia’s staff.
Among Belgium’s French-speaking population, there is a feeling that Garcia was treated unfairly primarily by Dutch-speaking key figures within the federation and the press.
With Van Bommel, who does not speak French, now lined up for the role, the narrative has gained more momentum.
As Belgian outlet VoetbalFocus notes, there are fears that French-speaking players like Raskin might get fewer opportunities under Van Bommel.
Nicolas Raskin has been linked with a Rangers exit…
Why Rangers star Raskin faces an uphill battle under Van Bommel
Van Bommel’s arrival creates an immediate, multi-layered problem for the Rangers midfielder.
With Garcia’s departure, Raskin lost the head coach who handed him his debut, trusted him in big moments, and shielded him within the squad.
Van Bommel being Dutch has sparked fears in Wallonia that the new setup will naturally lean towards Dutch-speaking players amid Flemish media pressure.
The former Royal Antwerp and Wolfsburg boss will rebuild the squad towards Euro 2028, and Raskin must now prove his worth all over again to a coach with no loyalty to him.
Editorial verdict: Raskin has everything to lose
There is no sugarcoating it: Raskin is the biggest loser in this national team shuffle.
While Premier League and European suitors have reportedly tracked Raskin following his stellar World Cup showing, his elite international platform is now on shaky ground.
Raskin proved under Garcia that he has the tactical discipline and grit to thrive at the highest level.
However, if the Belgian dressing room devolves into a political tug-of-war, the Ibrox ace risks seeing his starting spot sacrificed as Van Bommel navigates a volatile dressing room environment.
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