Radja Nainggolan has admitted that even a change of coach would not lead to him changing his mind about never playing for the Belgian national team again in an interview with ESPN FC.
“I’m not going back to the national team again. I said that if I don’t go to the World Cup, I’ll quit, and I’m a man of my word. I play my football at Inter, with lots of love for what I do, but I have a different life outside of here.
“If they change the coach tomorrow it’s still no. When I make up my mind, I stick to it. It’s not like I say I’m not interested while this Coach is in charge – for me, when I say it’s over, it’s over because I’ve thought it through. Each time there’s an international break now, I get four or five days off and I’m happy as I can concentrate on Inter and other things.”
He then spoke on his experience with the national team.
“It was a great experience, I had a great EURO 2016 and that’s enough. They were great experiences on a personal level. I’m a fan of my national teammates – I like them all and have a great relationship with all of the players, it’s just there are some things I cannot accept, some decisions made about me. I was really, really disappointed with the fact that I’d played a great European Championship and then I was discarded for nothing.
“I see things differently: in Belgium, there were players who were not playing at club level and they were getting called up. I was playing 50 games and was still being left out. I was never demanding that I had to play, I just deserved to be there in place of some other players.”
He then appeared to take a swipe at Roberto Martinez who was not a fan of the Ninaja’s lifestyle off the pitch that involves him smoking.
“Then there were the excuses, but they were all pathetic. Why was I playing 50 games for Roma if I was leading the same life I was being criticised for?
“I think it’s wrong when people say things without speaking to me first. You’ve got to say things to my face, we can have a talk and then we shake hands and you don’t call me up again but I’ve got more respect for you than somebody who doesn’t do that.
“People say things, and sadly in football, as in life, when you get a label stuck on you, you’re always known as that person. Before signing me, people will always say this and that, but if you don’t want me, fair enough.
“I’m not a bad person. I think all of the people who know me will tell you I’ve got the biggest heart of anybody they know. I like to make the people around me feel good, because that’s the way I’ve been brought up.”