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Belgium boss Marc Wilmots has now outlined his team’s preparation plans for this summer’s European Championship.
The world’s highest ranked side will play four matches in the run up to the tournament – against Portugal, Finland, Norway and Switzerland – as they look to live up to their billing.
The Red Devils will first face fellow Euro 2016 qualifiers Portugal on March 29, in what is their only scheduled match before the end of the domestic club season, and Wilmots believes it is the right way to prepare for the finals.
He said: “I don’t think that is a bad thing, the calendar is already so overloaded for the players. My players from the Premier League will play some 60 games in a season; that is more than enough.”
The Belgians will then assemble for a training camp in Switzerland in May, where they will take on Vladimir Petkovic’s Swiss side in Geneva, before returning to Belgium for further friendlies with Finland on June 1 and Norway on June 5.
Belgium will begin their European Championship campaign against Italy in Lyon on June 13 ahead of further group matches with the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
Wilmots believes the opponents his side have selected for their friendly matches will stand them in good stead.
He added: “We are sorry we weren’t able to come to an agreement with Scotland. They wanted too much money but in the Norwegians, who also play in a British style, we have a satisfactory sparring partner.”
Belgium are 2.00 to win Group E and are 1.10 to progress to the knockout stage.
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