Belgium men’s EuroHockey Championship campaign worsened on Thursday after Antoine Kina was omitted from the Red Lions side ahead of the minor placing match with England.
Journalists were sent a missive 20 minutes before push back stating that the Ghent midfielder would no longer play at the Euros in Mönchengladbach.
Belgium went on to win the clash with England 2-1 in the classification race for fifth place.
“For personal reasons, Antoine Kina will no longer play in this Euro. We will not comment on these reasons at this time,” read a statement.
Kina, 29, is known for his frank words while Le Soir reported that “many questions have been put on the table over the last 48 hours about the game plan, pressing system, the lack of leaders and finishing.”
It is understood that Kina was at odds with decisions made by coach Shane Macleod.
The latest episode follows Belgium’s exit from the Euro medals for the first time since 2015.
After the 4-2 defeat to the Netherlands in the pool stages, Victor Wegnez received an official reprimand by EuroHockey officials for speaking out on the umpiring.
Wegnez publicly criticised the umpires’ decisions on social media during an interview with a Belgian outlet.
It was seen as a breach of conduct and Wegnez accepted the outcome during a hearing on Monday with a slap on the wrist.
