Rudi Garcia has been appointed as Belgium's new coach, the country's football federation said on Friday.
Garcia has coached several large European clubs including Napoli, Marseille and Roma in his much-travelled career but has never managed a national side.
The 60-year-old was appointed as a replacement for Domenico Tedesco, who was fired last week after he failed to revive the team during a relatively short tenure.
Tedesco was hired in February 2023 with the goal of rebooting Belgian football after a disappointing end to the Roberto Martínez era at the World Cup. He failed and was sacked after further disappointing performances at both the 2024 European Championship, when Belgium lost to France in the round-of-16, and the Nations League.
Garcia, whose most successful spell in management came with Lille where he won the Ligue 1 title and manager of the year in 2011, last coached Napoli. He was sacked in 2023 after just 16 games in charge, winning half of them.
Garcia said the signs are positive for a return to the national team for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has not featured for the side since June 2023 following a dispute with Tedesco.
"Thibaut Courtois is one of the greatest players in Belgium," Garcia told reporters on Friday. "We still have good goalkeepers, but Thibaut is the best goalkeeper in the world in my opinion.
"It would be good to be able to count on him. The signals are positive."
Experienced striker Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne opted out of Nations League matches towards the end of 2024, and Garcia is eager to gauge their feelings towards the national side.
"I will definitely travel to Madrid, Manchester and Naples to talk to the players who can make us a top country," he said. "I have always believed that the biggest players are the easiest to work with. You can be transparent and honest with them.
"They have already experienced a lot, so it can be interesting to discuss and consult with them. It is important for the balance of this group -- with a lot of talent -- to also have the established players involved."
Garcia said he will rely on former Belgium midfielder Eden Hazard for knowledge of the squad, but that he would not have a formal role on the technical team.
"I talk to Eden Hazard a lot. He will also be a part of the adventure to the [2026] World Cup. He will help us a little," Garcia said. "He can be important because he was part of the team. It can be interesting to have one of the best Belgian players of all time behind me."
Belgium will face Ukraine in March in a two-legged promotion/relegation tie to retain their place in the top-tier Nations League A, before meeting North Macedonia, Wales, Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifiers.
"I am very motivated," Garcia said. "We need to get results back on the rise. I feel this is an environment with a lot of positivity. We are ambitious and want to win every game."
Information from Reuters was used in this report.