Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind. After a tough loss, he tells the truth about how the team played and what is expected from them.
In the past, he has taken LaLiga to task, too, for not protecting the players or having their safety in mind when making a decision to force players to travel through dangerous weather conditions.
After the UEFA Nations League Final against France, Courtois took UEFA – and other governing bodies in football – to task for the congested fixtures that are contributing to injuries, burnout, and all sorts of other mounting health risks for players.
Courtois did not mince words, making it clear that UEFA and other influential entities in football are prioritizing money over the well-being of players:
"“Next year we have a World Cup in November, we’ll have to play until the latter stages of June again. We will get injured. Nobody cares about the players. In June, after a long season, you’ll have to play four games in the Nations League, you’ll get two weeks holiday.“That’s not enough for players to continue for 12 months at the highest level. If we never say anything, it’s always the same.”"
More players need to join Thibaut Courtois
He is absolutely correct on so many counts. The bodies of the players cannot hold up under these demands, week after week, month after month, year after year. Just look at how many big clubs like Liverpool and Real Madrid have suffered so many injuries in the last year, in addition to fitness concerns regarding players who almost never miss matches. Casemiro and Luka Modric, for example, have looked worn out this season, while Toni Kroos and Sergio Ramos are suddenly having successive injury issues. Ferland Mendy ran more than anyone else in the Champions League, and he has not been able to play in months due to an overuse injury.
Courtois knows that if players do not speak out and if nothing is done, this will only get worse. The greedy, lazy ghouls who run this sport only care about exploiting the physical and mental health of players, reasoning that they are paid well enough to go through this inhumane toil. That is simply rubbish. What UEFA and others do is unethical, and yet the leaders of these organizations will continue to gain power, as they point to a new boogeyman instead of focusing on issues that are important, such as racist abuse, sexual abuse, and, to this specific issue, the very real burnout the players are going through.
Credit to Courtois for saying something after a major final. And now I wonder, who else will join him. We have heard other Madrid players like Kroos make their feelings clear, but until a majority of players rock the boat, the collision course towards the iceberg will proceed unceasingly.