De Bruyne urges angry Belgium fans to back team vs. France - ESPN

Kevin De Bruyne urged Belgium's angry supporters to back the team after the midfielder told his teammates to leave the pitch at the end of Wednesday's 0-0 Group E stalemate against Ukraine following incessant booing by the country's travelling fans.

The goalless draw in Stuttgart was enough to secure qualification for the round of 16 for Belgium — the Red Devils will face France in Dusseldorf on Sunday — and saw Ukraine become the first team to be eliminated from a European Championships with four points.

But with Belgium choosing to settle for a draw in the closing stages rather than chase a win that would have secured top spot and a less difficult round of 16 tie, the fans reacted angrily at the end by booing the players.

De Bruyne approached the section housing the Belgium fans, but he turned back and instructed his teammates to leave the pitch as the boos grew louder when his name was announced as UEFA's Player of the Match.

«We tried to win the match,» De Bruyne said in a postmatch news conference. «We had goal-scoring opportunities, but we didn't take any risks with the corner because we knew we might concede a goal.

»If that happens, you're out of the Euros. It's a shame we didn't manage to score before — we had opportunities — and after that we just need the fans to stay with us.

«We need these fans. We'll need them against France. That's all I have to say.»

When asked why he urged his teammates to leave the pitch and not approach the Belgium fans at the end, De Bruyne gave a guarded response by reiterating the call for backing from the supporters.

«We just need them,» he said. «I don't know what else to say. We just need the fans. We'll need them against France. We needed them in the last three games. That's