Waseige wants more time with Belgian players

New Belgian national team coach Robert Waseige has told his Belgian football bosses that his team needs longer to prepare for the Euro 2000 finals next summer.

Belgium co-host the event with Holland with the competition's group qualifying stages to end this weekend.

The Belgian team's form has been poor since the last World Cup and they are not considered contenders to challenge for the title. Waseige took over two months ago when Georges Leekens resigned and has so far taken his side to 5-5 draw with Holland last month, a 4-0 win over Morocco and Belgium arrive in England later this week to play a friendly at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon.

Waseige wants the end of the Belgian league campaign to be brought forward to give him more time with his players and has told the Belga news agency that he intends to propose that the current campaign end on May 11th and not the 14th.

The coach wants an extra week this will allow to work with his players. Former star striker Luc Nilis - he helped PSV Eindhoven to a 7-0 win at the weekend over Sparta - confirmed last week that he did not intend to resume his international career.