Kevin De Bruyne storms out of Euro 2024 press conference and mutters "stupid" at reporter

Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne was caught on camera muttering "stupid" as he exited a press conference after his team's exit from Euro 2024.

At 33, De Bruyne remains one of the few players still active from Belgium's heralded 'golden generation. ' Despite reaching the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals in the surrounding European Championships, the team has failed to secure any trophies.

France, who previously defeated Belgium in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, were once again the culprits, knocking them out of the Euros. Jan Vertonghen, another veteran at 37, inadvertently scored an own goal that propelled France into the quarter-finals.

When probed by a journalist about the golden generation's trophy drought, De Bruyne's frustration was palpable.

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"And you say that France and England and Spain and Germany is not a golden generation? " De Bruyne retorted before thanking the reporter and walking off stage, uttering "stupid" under his breath. Journalist Tancredi Palmeri didn't take kindly to the remark, taking to social media to respond. "Ahah DeBruyne just called me stupid," he tweeted.

"Hey Kevin, little memo for you: the golden generation you mentioned of France, England, Germany and Spain they ALL REACHED A FINAL! Usual footballer that wants only question telling him how good they are. Spoiled brat."

"No chance, we're too old," Kevin De Bruyne remarked about Belgium's prospects before their 2022 World Cup run, which ended in a shock group-stage exit behind Morocco and Croatia.

"I think our chance was 2018. We have a good team, but it is aging. We lost some key players. We have some good new players coming, but they are not at the level other players were in 2018. I see us more as outsiders," he candidly shared with The Guardian.

Belgium's World Cup journey began on a sour note with a 1-0 loss to Slovakia, followed by a win over Romania and a draw against Ukraine, barely scraping through their group. However, failing to secure the top spot meant facing France, who ultimately sent them packing.

"It's beautiful! We delivered a solid game" an elated French manager Didier Deschamps expressed to TF1 (as reported by Get French Football News), following the triumph over Belgium. "It was tight. We had more possession and opportunities."

"We did a lot of good things. We have to enjoy it, not belittle it. We're in the quarters, they're going home unfortunately, good habits! ".

Football analyst Roy Keane, while commenting for ITV, showed empathy towards the Belgian squad. "It's tough on them. I think France were the better team. Obviously, the quality wasn't really there," he observed.

"It wasn't a surprise that it was an own goal that settled the game. You also need a bit of luck. France kept a clean sheet and when you do that, you will always have a chance."