Real Madrid president campaigns for Thibaut Courtois to start Champions League final
By Kian Long
Real Madrid did what Real Madrid always do in midweek and that was to deliver when it matters most. After going a goal down against Bayern Munich, most sides would be ruled out of the tie but not this Real Madrid team, who have quite the legacy of delivering on the European stage, particularly under the presidency of Florentino Perez.
A welcomed injury boost for head coach Carlo Ancelotti was to have Thibaut Courtois available on the bench. The Belgian was not required between the sticks but given that he has missed a healthy chunk of this season through injury, to have him available for selection was great to see.
Obviously, being the excellent role model he is behind the scenes, it was great to see the experienced goalkeeper involved in the post-match celebrations. This yet again emphasised the togetherness in the Real Madrid squad.
Real Madrid president campaigns for Thibaut Courtois to start Champions League final
This does beg the question of which goalkeeper should start between the sticks for the Champions League final. Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in London this month to round off the season and potentially secure themselves a treble. However, Carlo Ancelotti must decide between the experienced Thibaut Courtois or the in-form Andriy Lunin.
Lunin is Real Madrid's backup goalkeeper but the Ukraine international has enjoyed a great runout in the starting lineup since Courtois picked up his unfortunate injury. Certainly, Lunin has proved he is good enough to start in such an occasion but from Carlo Ancelotti's perspective, he may not have the adequate experience, whereas Thibaut Courtois does.
This is certainly the message relayed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who has campaigned for Thibaut Courtois to start the Champions League final ahead of Andriy Lunin.
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According to journalist Jorge C Picon of Relevo (via RM4Arab), Florentino Perez and Carlo Ancelotti believe that starting Thibaut Courtois in the Champions League final will greatly improve their chances of winning against Dortmund.
It is tough decision which Carlo Ancelotti is best-placed to make. While he will value the input of the experienced Real Madrid president, the final decision must come down to Ancelotti. No manager in history has won more Champions League trophies than Ancelotti, so he knows the right calls to make.
Either way, whichever goalkeeper decision is made, one player will feel hard-done-by. This is the nature of the game and it is a nice problem for Ancelotti to have.
Who do you think should start the Champions League final?