Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been the subject of inflammatory media reports and speculation, so he made a strong statement clarifying that he is happy with the club.
Although Real Madrid currently sit at the top of the league table, criticism is still unavoidable for many key players in the team. Starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has become a target of section of the fan base and media for his performances, but those recently crossed the line into reports that have been deemed false.
It all stems from Courtois’ substitution at half-time against Club Brugge. Real Madrid were down 2-0 at the half, and while Courtois was scapegoated by the fans, the reality is that he had no chance to save both goals that resulted from brutal defensive breakdowns. Courtois was not substituted due to his performance either, but rather a gastrointestinal issue.
Yet SPORT reported that Courtois suffered an anxiety attack, which Real said was false in an official statement. SPORT has since reported that Courtois’ anger at club supporters against Brugge, combined with his illness, led to him being benched for Alphonse Areola against Granada.
And Courtois is here to firmly say that these reports are all false.
Following Belgium’s 9-0 win over San Marino to become the first team to officially qualify for the 2020 European Championships, Courtois cleared the air (via MARCA):
"“Responsibility from the media is required to not publish lies any nonsense about things like that because at the end of the day, there are people who really suffer from those problems. I think it’s disrespectful to the player and to the people who are really suffering.“I am happy and training hard and want to give the Real Madrid fans joy. The people at the Santiago Bernabeu are always a critical audience, we (Real Madrid players) know that, and we will do everything so that they break out in applause.”"
Hat tip to Bleacher Report’s Tom Sunderland for the quotes.
Courtois is a professional who has played at top clubs before, such as Atletico Madrid and Chelsea. He’s used to receiving negative feedback from fans and, based on his words, knows how to deal with it appropriately.
While playing at Real Madrid is different from any other club, Courtois isn’t exactly a newcomer to the Santiago Bernabeu. And in spite of the optimism surrounding Areola from the fan base, Courtois still looks like Real’s best option in goal, even if Areola did show on a couple of occasions that it would be wise for Zinedine Zidane to get a closer look at the former PSG starter.
So really, Courtois just needed time to heal from an illness, Areola deserved to get a start, and Courtois is happy and ready for a stretch of the schedule post-break that includes El Clasico. He’ll almost certainly start against Barcelona at Camp Nou, and a solid performance in El Clasico could immediately relieve the tension that exists from some areas of the fan base.
It’s always good to hear from a player in their own words. Courtois didn’t owe anyone an explanation, so fans should be thankful they got to hear his truth.